Working out, it does a body good. Not only on the outside but on the inside as well. If you thought your workouts were only affecting your muscles, then think again. As it turns out, exercise can also affect your brain. And if you make it a part of your lifestyle, then you’ll be reaping amazing rewards in the long run.
Today I want to share some of those with you in the hopes that you can understand that committing to consistent movement- whether it’s an activity you enjoy doing at home or one of my ZGYM workouts- will benefit your mental health in extraordinary ways. So, let’s not put them off any longer. Here’s why exercise paves the way to a healthier, better brain!

Neuro What Now?

Exercise can literally help you to rebuild your brain. According to research, exercise induces neurogenesis, the production of new neurons, in the brain. [1] For years it was believed that neurogenesis was limited by age, that it only occurred during our early years of growth. Now it turns out that neurogenesis can occur well beyond into our adult years. How is this possible? Well, stay with me here; I may be throwing a strange word or two, but stick with me and it will all make sense.
Neurogenesis occurs in the center of our brain in a region known as the hippocampus. The hippocampus is largely responsible for aiding us in memory (specifically long-term memory and recollection), emotional response, and learning. [2] And it is in the hippocampus where neurogenesis takes place.
The reason why exercise has been shown to induce neurogenesis is that it increases blood flow to the brain and thus, the hippocampus. This results in what scientists refer to as “exercise-induced neurogenesis in the human brain”. [3]

In animal studies, it was shown that the greater fitness levels one has, the greater the number of neurons being grown. Furthermore, it’s not so much about doing aerobic or high-intensity interval training as it is about being fit. [4] If doing either of the two increases your fitness, then all the better. But incorporating some form of exercise into your lifestyle for the long run is what’s going to increase your fitness and build new neurons.

This revelation gets even better. If there was one more reason to exercise, it would be the fact that it’s anti-aging. Going back to our good friend the hippocampus, one of the sad products of the aging process is a decline in brain function. Oftentimes, many people lose their memory, mental sharpness, and focus. Even worse, conditions and disorders like Alzheimer’s, dementia, and Parkinson run rampant amongst seniors. All of these impair the hippocampus, and can be prevented to a notable degree. One of the greatest forms of prevention is exercise.
With neuroimaging technology, researchers have found that elderly adults with high levels of aerobic fitness had a larger hippocampus and performed better on cognition-based tasks. [5]
Additional research has shown that both short-term and long-term exercise helped to prevent impairments in the hippocampus and improve memory in cases of Alzheimer disease, along with improving motor function and cognition in instances of Parkinson disease. [6] [7]

In addition to giving a boost to neurogenesis, exercise has also been shown to increase BDNF. BDNF (short for Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor) often been referred to as “fertilizer for the brain”, helping to maintain healthy brain cells as well as encouraging the growth of new ones. In petri-dish research, BDNF causes brain cells to grow (or “sprout”) new “branches”, which are needed to make new connections in the brain. [8]
BDNF comes with a number of benefits, including improvements in memory, cognition, developing new skills, mood, and the production of feel-good neurotransmitters like serotonin. Having low levels of BDNF has been linked to poor brain health, increasing one’s risk of developing Alzheimer’s, dementia, Parkinson, depression, anxiety, and poor brain function. [8]

Want to Kill a Bad Mood? Go Exercise

Mental health is a serious subject that’s not to be taken lightly. It’s something that all of us strive to maintain, whether we realize it or not. While I always believe that you should talk a professional first when it comes to any mental condition or problem you may have, I also believe that one should strive for maintaining a lifestyle that supports their well-being. And that includes mental and emotional health.
One of the ways this can be done is through healthy and regular amounts of exercise. To further emphasize my point, let’s take a look at a bit of brain research.
According to a Stockholm study that was published in the International Journal of Neuropsychopharmacology, exercise in the form of running on “depressed” rats was able to generate potent anti-depressant-like effects. [9] Speaking of running, ever heard of the phrase “runner’s high”? That’s the incredible rush or “high” that lifts you up during running or jogging. This occurs due to the release of endorphins, which are the feel-good chemicals that put you in such a good mood. Not only that, but the runner’s high also releases anandamide, a type of endocannabinoid that’s involved in the same psychoactive sensations that stem from marijuana. The only difference here is that instead of being stimulated by marijuana, you’re getting similar effects from exercise. [10]
OK, this all sounds nice on animals, but what about humans? Look no further than a recent meta-analysis study published in Depression and Anxiety in 2018. In it, up to 455 patients between the ages of 18 to 65 with significant depression were instructed to participate in supervised aerobic exercise for 45 minutes three times a week. The length of the experiment lasted a little over two months (9.2 weeks to be exact).
During the study, the researchers found the exercise to be quite potent, enabling the subjects to experience a “large overall antidepressant effect compared with antidepressant medication and/or psychological therapies.”
At the end of the study, the researchers concluded that, “Collectively, this study has found that supervised aerobic exercise can significantly support major depression treatment in mental health services.” [11]
To reiterate, I am by no means saying you should give up your current treatment of depression or any other mental health care. What I am suggesting though is that exercise could help you to either reduce your antidepressant medication or improve your quality life while you manage your issue. The research has proven that it is indeed a powerful (and free) form of medicine!

Back to You

Let’s talk. I want to know how exercise has affected you and your mental health. Has it improved your mood, or helped you to stay focused? Without a doubt, there’s still so much we have to understand when it comes to the human body. But with more and more research coming out by the month, it’s clear that we’re on the right path. I do believe that we can bridge together the gap between lifestyle and medicine, so that we aren’t slaves to either frame of thought and can instead use the best of both worlds. Leave a comment below and tell me what exercise has done for you!
(Also, shameless plug, but also tell me if becoming a ZGYM member has improved your life in some way! I’d love it if you could share your experiences with everyone else so that we can all continue to build healthier, better brains and bodies!)

Sources:
[1] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/09/180906141623.htm
[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3548359/
[3] https://foreverfitscience.com/brain-health/exercise-increases-neurons-in-the-brain/
[4]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26844666
[5] Aerobic fitness is associated with hippocampal volume in elderly humans.
Erickson KI, Prakash RS, Voss MW, Chaddock L, Hu L, Morris KS, White SM, Wójcicki TR, McAuley E, Kramer AF
Hippocampus. 2009 Oct; 19(10):1030-9.
[6] Parachikova A, Nichol KE, Cotman CW. Short-term exercise in aged Tg2576 mice alters neuroinflammation and improves cognition. Neurobiol Dis. 2008;30:121–129
[7] Exercise-enhanced neuroplasticity targeting motor and cognitive circuitry in Parkinson’s disease.
Petzinger GM, Fisher BE, McEwen S, Beeler JA, Walsh JP, Jakowec MW
Lancet Neurol. 2013 Jul; 12(7):716-26.
[8] https://exerciseright.com.au/brain-derived-neurotrophic-factor-bdnf-and-exercise/
[9] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15769301
[10] https://www.sciencealert.com/the-reason-you-get-a-runner-s-high-from-a-long-run-isn-t-what-you-think
[11] https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/10/181018125207.htm