Running keeps the connections strong

Exercise is good for your body and your brain. This should not be a surprise, but even some experts don’t understand the important connection between physical and mental health.

By mental health, I mean your brain.

A new study highlights the mental benefits of running through middle age.

Lifelong exercise shows significant benefits for ageing brains. It may even prevent memory loss. Exercise, especially in middle age, increases survival and modifies neurons protecting our cognitive processes.

Henriette van Praag, Ph.D., author, and associate professor of biomedical science at Florida Atlantic University Stiles-Nicholson Brain Institute says,

“Our study provides insight as to how chronic exercise, beginning in young adulthood and continuing throughout middle age, helps maintain memory function during aging, emphasizing the relevance of including exercise in our daily lives,” 

Henriette van Praag

Ageing doesn’t mean decline

While ageing can reduce the volume of our hippocampus, an area of the brain essential for memory and learning, it isn’t inevitable and running can help.

There is more evidence that physical activity can delay and prevent structural and functional changes in the older brain. In this new study, researchers looked at how lifelong running habits can affect our brains.

What did they find?

Running through midlife keeps old adult-born neurons wired, which may prevent or delay aging-related memory loss and neurodegeneration. Adding to the evidence that exercise keeps your brain healthy and lifelong running significantly increases the number and the recruitment of neurons.

Running has many health benefits for your body and your brain, and you don’t need to be fast to reap the rewards! More motivation to keep you active as you age, it’s keeping your brain healthy too.

You don’t have to run to improve your brain health!

3 Ways Exercise Boosts Brain Power

Change your mind, change your health,

Shayla