Friday, April 5, 2013

Pumping neurons: exercise to maintain a healthy brain

I'm sure your doctor has told you all about this.
http://www.memorylossonline.com/winter2010/pumping_neurons.html
Do you get at least 30 minutes of moderate physical exercise most days of the week? If you did, your brain would appreciate it. Evidence is mounting that physical activity -- specifically aerobic exercise -- improves memory and various other brain functions and may lower the risk of dementia.

Most of the evidence comes from a mountain of studies on rats and mice, but data collected on people is growing. It shows convincingly that you can preserve your mental skills as you age, regain some of the horsepower you’ve already lost, and even help to stave off Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.

“There’s quite a bit of evidence now suggesting the beneficial effects of moderate intensity exercise on the brain,” says Kirk Erickson, a neuroscientist at the University of Pittsburgh. He is at the forefront of research on exercise and the brain. “This includes maintaining the structure of the brain and preventing deterioration, but also improving the actual functioning of the brain as well.”

Even better, you don’t need to run a marathon. You simply need to engage in some sort of aerobic exercise -- any rhythmic activity that engages the large muscle groups of the body -- long enough to raise your heart rate. Think a brisk 45-minute walk, three or more times per week. Or enough laps in the pool so that you can feel your pulse thumping. “You don’t have to be a member of a gym,” Erickson says. “Primarily we’re measuring people who just walk.”


Rest at the link.

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