Humans exist to move. Our bodies adapt to stimulus’ such as running and lifting things repetitively so that they can become more efficient and we can become better at surviving through strain, physical resistance and physical adversity. The physical and visible benefits of exercise are taught to us in health classes from young ages, but whether we listened and conceptualized the information or not is an entirely different story.
Aside from the obvious benefits of exercise that we were taught about from a long time ago, physical activity brings enormous physiological advantages to the brain. One obstacle every adult must reckon with, is the inevitable decrease in neuroplasticity.
Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to change and adapt due to experience. In short, this our brain’s ability to learn new things whether they are taught in a classroom or learned from personal experience. This is crucial to not only our survival but our ability to thrive in society. As we engage in exercise, we increase our oxygen intake. Since our brain depends on oxygen and glucose to run optimally, increased capillary beds enhance their ability to deliver nutrients to brain tissue and thus increase neuroplasticity.
The importance of neuroplasticity doesn’t stop with the ability to learn new things. Increased neuroplasticity has been shown to give the brain a protective advantage in times of crisis by decreasing its vulnerability to cardiovascular adversaries and protecting the blood brain barrier from oxidative stress. Oxidative stress can be things such as free radicals and oxidants that promote the possibilities of cancer and other ailments like diabetes and heart disease.
As humans age, the ability to preserve plasticity becomes especially important. Neuroplasticity is a protective factor against diseases like Alzheimer’s. Even after diagnosis of Alzheimer’s patients who engaged in regular cardiovascular exercise showed improvement in mood and cognition. Cardiovascular exercise has also been shown to improve symptoms for individuals struggling with ADD and ADHD, shown through measures such as attentional resource allocation, which in short is one’s ability to fix attention to the task at hand. Many individuals who struggle with ADD and ADHD suffer from low dopamine, thus it is believed that exercise helps increase dopamine production. We could all use more of that!
Another discovery that may provide benefit to slowing the aging process of the brain and an aid against Alzheimer’s is the link between exercise and neurogenesis, which is creation of new brain cells. This process takes place in the hippocampus, the area that is responsible for learning and memory. Exercise triggers a response from a specific protein called brain-derived neurotropic factor, also known as BDNF. BDNF supports existing neurons and pushes for the growth of new neurons and synapses.