I don’t know about you, but every week I see a news headline telling me that I'm slowly destroying my brain and cognitive function. Whether it’s through prolonged social media use, lack of sleep, or eating the wrong foods, it seems like I just can’t win.
Something I never see in these posts is evidence-based solutions on how to prevent this decline. As an accredited exercise physiologist, I'm in a perfect position to be able to share what I believe is the easiest, most cost effective, and important neuroprotective intervention, EXERCISE! Below are 5 points that I think everyone should know, when it comes to how to protect our brains through exercise.
1. Can exercise really help my brain?
Yes, it can! Exercise has been proven to not only improve mood, memory, and attention span, but also provides positive physical changes to the brain. Exercise can create new brain cells and neural pathways and is one of the most transformative things that someone can do for their brain.
2. What type of exercise is best?
Any type of aerobic activity that increases heart rate. This can include walking, running, team sports, swimming, cycling, stair climbing and many more. If your heart rate is increasing, you’re doing the right thing.
3. How much exercise should I do?
I like to think of this in a very simple way, every drop of sweat counts. The more physically active we are, the more benefits we will see, and there is currently no researched limit to this. With, general recommendations are 30-45 minutes of moderate aerobic exercise, 2-4 times per week.
4. What is the minimum amount of exercise I can do to see benefits?
Just one workout will release chemicals which will improve your mood, decrease stress levels and improve your attention span in the hours following your workout. For long term benefits, the lower end of the guidelines mentioned above are a good place to start.
5. Is it too late to start?
While it’s true that the longer you’re physically active for in your lifetime, the better outcomes you’ll get, it’s never too late to start! There’s some great research that’s shown that people who begin walking later in life still have a significant reduction in developing Alzheimer's dementia disease, along with all the other benefits that walking brings to your body.
If you have any health conditions that may impact on your ability to perform exercise such as a heart condition, it’s best to consult with your general practitioner before commencing.
Brody Kilbey
Workers Compensation Specialist (AEP, ESSAM)
Exercise Rehabilitation Services – WA