Exercising for Brain Health

What are we without our brains?

I always found it interesting that we distinguish mental from physical in a lot of contexts still. But it’s all the same. The brain and spinal cord are a part of the nervous system which control everything we do.

Most people focus on the physical (meaning from the neck down) results of exercising more so than the mental. But exercise greatly improves the physical structure of the brain as well as contributes to the positive feelings you experience as a result of exercise.

The increasing awareness and conversation in recent years around mental health is very promising. All of us struggle mentally and emotionally in life to varying degrees. And while counselling, therapy, friendship, journaling, meditating and contemplating are all amazing practices, exercise is one of the best things we can do to support our brains. It’s ironic, because usually exercise is the last thing people suffering from low mood or depression want to do. It’s easier to be physically active when you have energy…but being physically active gives you more energy…hmm…

So, it begs the question, what’s actually going on in the brain when we are physically active? How does exercise affect the physical structure of our brains?

Well, it turns out that exercise not only helps to grow your muscles, but also structures of the brain as well. This has a protective function in that when you exercise, growth factors create new cells to increase the size of the notable regions of the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. The hippocampus is responsible for learning and memory and is a structure that can be affected in many neurological and psychiatric disorders. And the prefrontal cortex is responsible for retaining attention, impulse control, adaptation of behaviours to environment, remembering planned actions for the future like remembering to take medication or send a birthday card or turn the stove off after cooking.

These areas of the brain also happen to be structures that are susceptible to cognitive decline and degeneration as we age. So the beefier we can make those structures, even if cognitive disorders are in our genetic line, it would take longer for the ill-effects to impact us.

So let’s paint the physiological picture shall we?

You start to move your body, your heart starts beating faster and more blood gets pumped around your body. Now, your brain has a special immunological barrier called the blood-brain barrier (BBB) that inhibits bacteria, viruses and other bad cells from entering the brain. That said, there are a couple of cell types that can cross the BBB and positively affect the aforementioned structures of the brain. These cells are precursors to the growth factors that promote brain cellular growth that come from the liver and muscles. So, as a result of the stress of exercise, your muscles release myokines and your liver releases a ketone (alternate form of energy used by the brain when blood glucose is not available) called beta hydroxybutyrate (BHB). The myokines and BHB can penetrate the BBB and stimulate cell growth in the brain. Cool, right?

More nerdy coolness to follow, read on…

When you move your body (even as little as 10 minutes a day), your brain releases neurochemicals that immediately make you feel more alert, motivated, in a better mood, decreased feelings of hostility, and more energized. If you exercise for 30-45 minutes, these effects can last up to 2 hours afterwards.

What are these magical neurochemicals you ask?

Epinephrine (or adrenaline) and norepinephrine are involved in metabolism, attention, focus, and response to stressful situations.

Serotonin is involved in feelings of happiness, regulation of circadian rhythms, mood and desires.

Dopamine is involved in memory, motivation and feelings of pleasure.

Of course, if exercising is a long-term habit in your life, you can see great benefits like longer attention span and focus, better long-term memory and more consistent mood and energy.

The bottom line is that the vitality of our brain should not be taken for granted and it actually needs stimulus to remain healthy, just as the rest of our body does. So, let’s get movin’!