Exercising has many obvious benefits for our bodies. It helps maintain a healthy weight, improves our cardiovascular health and strengthens our bodies. There are several benefits of exercising that aren’t so well known, however. In this blog, we explore the impact of exercise training on our memory!
Human Memory Analyzed
The hippocampus is the part of the brain that largely deals with learning and storing new memories. As we grow older and reach the later years of our lives, hippocampus shrinkage usually starts to occur. As you might expect, the shrinkage leads to diminishing memory. Many pharmaceutical treatments have sprouted up as a means to prevent this, but they often lead to unbearable side effects.
As it turns out, there was a better solution right in front of us the whole time: exercising. A PNAS trial reported that a group of 60 adults who exercised vigorously for 6 months witnessed an average 2.12% and 1.97% growth of their left and right hippocampus respectively. Another group of 60 participants who only stretched across the same time span witnessed a 1.4% volume loss.
What excites us about this survey is that it unearths a direct link between fitness intensity/ frequency and memory. This isn’t a trivial blanket statement about how exercising is good for the mind and body. Instead, it is evidence that exercise physically protects against the loss of brain tissue and allows brain volume to increase. The study also shows that people of all ages can reap the benefits of a healthy lifestyle, so let’s keep up our efforts to do so!
Get Stronger with MissionFit
MissionFit is dedicated to strengthening Baltimore youth through classes and an open gym. It’s our goal to encourage positive traits, like respect and teamwork, and provide children with a place to gain self-confidence and enjoy some exercise. To learn more about our classes or donate to support our mission, visit our website. Want to Support? We’re making health a possibility and a priority for Baltimore’s youth. If you want to support us, here are three easy ways to do so:
- Donate here!
- Amazon Wishlist– buy something specific that will make it easier for youth to achieve their health goals.
- You can put your online shopping to good use by donating a percentage of your purchase with AmazonSmile! To get started, sign in here, search for “MissionFit” and select us as your charity of choice.
