Brain Exercising: Article Analysis

Participation in physical activity has been shown to have many health benefits for older adults; this study does not provide strong support that it protects against cognitive decline. Reports have been made that physical activity may help guard against stroke and coronary heart disease, both of which may be associated with the development of dementia. Some studies were either limited in their scope or had short follow-up times. In all they find that for older adults, physical activity alone may not protect against cognitive decline. (By Charnicia E. Huggins: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/exerciseforseniors.html)

In the book, Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and The Brain by Dr. John J. Ratey, MD (2008), Ratey discuses how exercise can help treat many mood disorders and how it can help strengthen our brains. This book is divided into ten chapters all with five to ten subsections in them. The chapters include: Welcome to the revolution: A Case Study on Exercise and the brain, Learning, Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Attention Deficit, Addiction, Hormonal Changers, Aging, and the Regimen.

Cavanaugh and Blanchard-Fields (2015) state that there is research showing how brain plasticity can be enhanced through aerobic exercise (p.51). It is important that adults be active in their lives. A 30-minute walk or some type of physical activity will benefit them as the age. The text mentions a study done by Erickson and his colleagues in 2009 where they studied the effect of aerobic exercise on the hippocampus. They found that due to aerobic exercise it produced greater volume in the hippocampus. This is significant because the hippocampus is the part of the brain that is responsible for memory, emotions, and spatial functioning. The body does not only need physical activities to produce healthier cognitive functioning but also nutrients. The text identifies three nutrient biomarker patterns that are significant on the aging brain. These nutrients are vitamin B, C,D, and E, omega-3, and trans fat. the foods that belong to these nutrients are beneficial to the brain. Older adults should make an effort to include these nutrients into their diets. positive impacts these nutrients make are better cognitive functioning and greater brain

The book I chose to read was Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J. Ratey, MD. I chose this book because I am very interested in this topic. I enjoy working out, running and playing sports regularly, not only because of the physical benefits, but the mental benefits as well. I believe that John Ratey wrote this book to shed light on the fact that exercise is even more important than society already thinks. Everyone knows that exercise is healthy for the muscles, bones and heart; but, however, generally speaking, most people are unaware of the extreme mental profits that can occur as a result of exercise.

Due to the inconsistency between studies there is no definitive exercise dosage or type that can aid in protection against dementia. However, from the evidence provided it suggests that higher levels of exercise can be used as a neuroprotective mechanism to prevent the onset of

The articles by Erikson et al., Gatz, Korol et al., and Draganski et al. explore the concept of increased physical activity and/or mental activity having effects on the cognitive function and development or deterioration of the brain as we age. Although I agree that physical exercise is critical in increasing cognitive function because of the health benefits it provides, as well as the increased blood flow and circulation throughout the body, I ultimately believe that a healthy brain is not achieved solely by physical exercise or mental exercise, but both. I think there is a link between physical and mental exercise, and that the combination of these two activities creates higher cognitive functioning of the mind as well as the body. The mind and body come together and meet to make an overall healthy individual.

As we all know from research, regular physical activity is the perfect preventive step against the development of United States number one killer, cardiovascular disease. It’s understood that becoming physically active in childhood and staying that way throughout one’s adult life offers the greatest protection. While the prevention of cardiovascular disease is the overall objective of physical activity at all ages, there are additional risk-reduction goals for every age group. My risk reduction goal is for adults the age of 41-65, is to reduce the risk of cognitive decline by doing physical activity. There are many ways physical activity can factor in to reduce the risk of cognitive decline.

Exercise also improves cognitive functioning, especially in the elderly. Harvard Medical School found that exercise

People who exercise more frequently are creating more neurons inside of their brain and increasing their cognitive functions. When someone doesn’t exercise their body, they aren’t challenging it enough to stimulate their brain. This needed stimulation is basically exercising their brain, along with their body. It increases their potential to be smarter. A study was done to a group of older people who had some impairment to their cognitive memory. They were split into three random groups and assigned different types of exercise. One group had resistance training, another had aerobic training, and the last had balance and tone training. By the end of the study it showed that the people that were in both the resistance and aerobic exercise groups had “increased spatial memory” (Friedman). Exercise is so critical to your brain because just like how you would use protein to increase your physical strength, when you exercise your body releases a protein in your brain called brain-derived neurotrophic factor. This is what causes the brain to increase the growth and formation of neurons and increasing the potential of the memory

The human brain is constantly changing where many new neurons are formed while others neurons die and new synapses are created while other synapses are removed (Spalding et al., 2013). Some dendrites will withdraw while other dendrites continue branching (Killgore et al., 2013). The processes driving the reshaping of the brain are neuroplasticity and neurogenesis. Neuroplasticity is the brain’s lifelong ability to rewire neural connections to compensate for diseases and injuries or in response to changes in the environment, whereas neurogenesis is the ability to create new neurons and neural connections. This dynamic process of remodeling gray matter is determined mainly by a person’s genetics and can slow down due to age (Denes, 2016). However, recent scientific evidence demonstrates other non-genetic factors that can significantly improve the development of the brain and slow down neurodegeneration (Kays et al., 2012). Physical exercise has always been linked to a person’s physical health, but many recent scientific studies shows physical exercise can also keep a person’s brain sharp. Exercise affects the brain in numerous ways by creating a flourishing environment for brain growth, aiding the release of numerous hormones, and fighting against depression, stress, and anxiety.

Growing up I was always overweight. In high school I finally decided to lose the weight by incorporating daily exercise. By changing my lifestyle in small steps: such as taking the stairs verse the elevator and doing pushups and sit-ups every night, I became healthy with the frequency of my workouts. I did not have to go run a marathon to lose the weight, I just stayed consistent and made sure that I was workout out my body using the proper form. I feel that this would be very true in regards to older individuals looking to better their brain health through physical exercise as well. By working out frequently you not only look better but feel better mentally, I say this from personal experience. Intensity within exercising is important as well but may be too rough for older individuals on their bodies, same with length of time.

Regardless of whether or not a person is an athlete, exercise can improve both cardiovascular and mental health. According to Michelle Willette, “Everyone knows that cardio workouts are great for body: better heart health, increased metabolism, decreased risk of many diseases; the list goes on. But did you know that getting sweat on can help sharpen the brain and make one feel better when you’re down? All the more reason to get up and get moving!” (Willette). In the brain the part that responds strongly to aerobic exercise is called the hippocampus. This brain structure grows as people get fitter by doing exercise. Besides making memory stronger, exercise can help to focus and stay on task. Physical activity can have potent effects on a person's

“According to findings of a study from the University of Dundee, the most powerful ‘deterrent’ among the over 65 are a lack of interest and disbelief that exercise can enhance and lengthen life” (Murphy). What most of the elderly do not understand is that being sedentary is anything but beneficial. Being physically inactive can inevitably lead to one 's demise. It can cause bone deterioration, a higher risk of Alzheimer, a higher risk of diabetes, and low life expectancy. But, by joining fitness centers and taking part in physical therapy, the elderly can improve on their memory and driving skills, improve on their mobility, improve the quality of their lives, and become less dependent on others.

The gentle exercise of walking also leads to new connections between brain cells, holding at bay the usual decline of brain tissue that comes with age. Even as my hair turns grey, I’m glad to know that I don’t have to listen to contemporary music to keep my brain younger.

Most people only associate diet and exercising with weight loss and image. While both of these do play a factor in this aspect of health, there are far more important benefits to adapting and maintaining a healthy, well-balanced diet and a regular exercise plan. From any age, it is important to maintain a healthy life style that becomes part of a daily life routine. The older an individual gets, the more at risk they are to a wide variety of issues. While some of these cannot be prevented, there is a vast amount of research that shows it can be delayed or inhibited early on. A study was conducted on rats in 2013 for the Society of Neuroscience and proved to have astounding results on the matter of ways that exercise and diet can benefit the aging population. These rats showed not only improvement of movement within their bodies, but also preservation. It was also found that dietary intervention can yield the same results as physical exercise when it comes to aging (Society of Neuroscience, 2013). If done properly, a well balanced diet in combination with proper age appropriate exercise can benefit the aging population in numerous ways.