Why Exercise Is The Key To A Healthy Brain!

MAXIM’s resident Clinical Nutritionist, Brooke Benson Campbell (BHSC Nut Med), explains why exercise is the key to a healthy brain…

- Brooke Benson Campbell

There are plenty of reasons to be physically active — losing weight, lowering blood pressure, decreasing the odds of developing heart disease and diabetes, lowering the incidence of stroke… the list goes on.

However, new research suggests that exercise isn’t all about your body. In fact, scientists believe that the real reason we, as humans, are primed to exercise is to support brain health, meaning that the benefits of physical activity are more than just muscle-deep. And it’s not just modern science that is convinced. Albert Einstein, Charles Darwin, Nikola Tesla — all celebrated figures of evolutionary and industrial development, and all known for their extraordinary brain power AND addiction to exercise. Einstein’s daily 5km walk was an essential part of his daily regime, Darwin allowed for three 45-minute walks throughout the day to enhance brain function and creativity, while Tesla reportedly performed nightly foot exercises with the goal of improving brain function, and walked up to 16km per day. He was even reported to perform daily exercises in the bath to capitalize on every opportunity for movement. And while a daily synchronized swimming bathroom regime may not be an option, the takeaway is clear. To change your brain, move your body.

Hunting, running, foraging and climbing — humans evolved to move and those movements encouraged brain growth that gradually separated us from other animals. But how did this happen? How did the brain transform and mature to develop creativity, emotional intelligence, and heightened memory? New research has shown that physical activity stresses our brains in the same way that it stresses our muscles. Like active muscle fibers, neurons of the brain break down then recover to become stronger and more resilient with exercise, making physical activity the key to improved performance. So, how does physical activity boost brainpower? Well, it…