5 types of exercises that improve brain health

It’s no surprise that exercise promotes a healthy brain. Not only does the workout provide incredible, immediate benefits, like boosting your mood, clearing your head, and giving you that post-exercise high, but it also does some remarkable things in your brain for long-lasting cognitive health and functioning. term.

“Exercise in general is probably the best thing you can do for your brain,” says Matthew Stults-Kolehmainen, Ph.D., FACSM, exercise physiologist and exercise researcher at Yale New Haven Hospital. “In fact, some researchers believe the original function of the brain was to help people move.”

The positive links between physical exercise and brain health (mental health and mood management, memory and executive functioning, and prevention of degenerative brain disease) are an important topic of research and discussion. We have learned so much about the real and structural brain changes that occur during exercise, including changes in brain volume and connectivity, the amount of oxygen going to brain tissue, neuroplasticity (how our neurons grow , change and communicate) and increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF, a protein crucial for the maintenance and creation of neurons), and much more.

Researchers and doctors are now diving deeper to determine exactly how much exercise we need and what types of exercise are ideal for optimal brain health. Some exercise is certainly better than no exercise at all, but the best strategy for maximizing exercise for brain health is an ever-evolving topic.

How long should you exercise for brain health?

The current general recommendation for the amount and duration of exercise, according to the World Health Organization, is 50 minutes of exercise, three times a week, explains Stephen M. Rao, Ph.D., director of the Cleveland Clinic Schey Center for Cognitive Neuroimaging. An exact prescription for the ideal intensity and type of movement to do during those minutes is still being researched at all levels.

“A good duration is when you finish the exercise still feeling energized,” says Stults-Kolehmainen. This means you don’t have to do workouts that leave you completely drained and exhausted. If so, you may be working too hard, at least in the context of brain benefits. “Cerebral blood flow appears to maximize at 60-70 percent of oxygen uptake and appears to decline thereafter,” he says. Translation? Training at around 60-70% of your maximum effort seems to do very good things for your brain, especially the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for cognition, short-term memory and executive functions. Exerting beyond this seems to show a decrease in the impact of exercise on the brain.

It is important to note that everyone starts from a different location. Someone who previously led a sedentary life with little or no regular physical activity may start exercising for just 10 minutes each day and experience a similar perceived benefit – the felt impact of certain activities/efforts on a individual – like someone more active who exercises regularly for 30 minutes. The goal is to start where you are, since going from zero to 10 minutes can have a very positive impact on your brain. Once you’ve reached the physical point where you can handle more, make things a little harder or train a little longer to make more progress and challenge your brain.

We know that different types of exercise impact different brain functions. Most of the time, all exercise provides some benefit, even just helping to reduce stress, which has a negative impact on the brain when it is chronic. Consistency and regularity are also major factors when it comes to exercise for a sharp and healthy brain. A well-known exercise and brain health study looked at the brain health impacts of several different exercise modalities over different durations. He found that the brain derives different benefits from different types of exercise, and that the brain derives more and different benefits from exercise over time (weeks, months, years vs. days) – regardless of the type of exercise.

The best ways to exercise for brain health

While it’s hard to prescribe a one-size-fits-all fitness strategy, here are a few things to keep in mind that will help shape your workout routine. At this point, there have been more studies to show that aerobic exercise may be better than stretching, toning, or even strength training (again, just in the context of training for your brain).

What’s more, “exercise that demands more of your attention, demands more of the brain,” says Stults-Kolehmainen. This can take the form of an exercise that requires multiple steps (like tai chi or dance) or a type of exercise that holds your attention enough to not get bored or send you into autopilot mode. There is a fine line, however. You’ll want to find a workout that’s engaging enough to hold your attention without being so demanding and frustrating that you throw in the towel.

Variety and novelty in general are also important for brain fitness, so diversifying exercise types, mixing up your workouts, and challenging yourself to learn a new activity can help keep the mind sharp and neurons alive. to recharge.

Try to plan your exercise for the week, including various modalities throughout: a few days of cardio, a yoga session sprinkled in, and a day or two of strength training with weights or resistance bands.

At the end of the day, however, Stults-Kolehmainen reiterates what so many fitness experts, doctors, and researchers say: “The best exercise is the one you actually do and stick with.”

Here are five types of exercise that fuel your brain with health benefits.