Exercise prevents mental decline TWO ways…..

Today's post: Wednesday, 12-12-2007

1. You may have read the post here that I did when I first read of the studies that showed that exercise actually causes the growth of new neurons or nerves in your brain.

So it’s much harder for regular exercisers to get mental decline since their brains are essentially always adding new wiring to combat any problems !!

(It also helps that regular exercisers get better blood flow to their brains than nonexercisers do to keep their brain neurons getting plenty of food as glucose & oxygen. Just doing the exercise does that each time. And, exercise also boosts the protective HDL cholesterol to help keep their blood vessels to their brains & in their brains clear and open.)

2. And, like many of you, I’ve experienced that severe stress tends to short-circuit your short term memory. Dr Hans Selye & Dr Singh Khalsa also have written about how chronic, long term, unrelieved stress can make this permanent & cause mental decline in addition to making you sick.

So, as I did, you might really enjoy this article I got in my daily Early to Rise email.

It seems regular exercise not only grows new brain neurons, it also helps prevent this brain damage from chronic stress !!


“Strengthen Your Body and Supercharge Your Mind
By Dr. Jonny Bowden

Stress does more than make you prone to road rage - it also shrinks your brain. But by following a simple exercise program you may be able to undo some of the damage - or, better yet, prevent it from happening in the first place.

Exercise reduces levels of a brain-robbing stress hormone called cortisol. Elevated levels of cortisol actually shrink an important part of the brain called the hippocampus, which is responsible for memory and learning. Studies show that exercise may help prevent Alzheimer's or dementia - or, at the very least, significantly delay its onset.

Exercise also releases chemicals that ramp up production of an important brain compound called BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) that has been called "Miracle Gro for the Brain." And recent research at the University of Illinois shows that healthy but sedentary folks (ages 60 to 80) who did moderate aerobic exercise for only 45 to 60 minutes three days a week actually grew bigger brains. Both the white matter and the grey matter increased in volume.

[Ed. Note: Dr. Jonny Bowden is a nationally known expert on weight loss, nutrition, and health. He's a board certified nutritionist with a master's degree in psychology, and the author of the best-selling book, The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth. For more information, go to www.jonnybowden.com. “

This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, the Internet’s most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine.

For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com.