Brain fitness – the link between our movement and thinking

The US neuroscientist Dr. Wendy Suzuki joined a gym class to lose weight and to get in shape, but she did not expect a surprising side effect - she seemed to be feeling smarter.
At that time she was drafting grant applications to fund her research at the New York University. It dawned on her that the weeks she was worked about 3 to 4 sessions of aerobic exercises her focus became sharper, she concentrated more clearly and she was even more productive in the weeks where she did extra training.

So, is there really a link between working out and mental performance?

It was a eureka moment that shifted her research. She became curious about the effects of aerobic exercise on mental performance, which eventually led to her book Healthy Brain, Happy Life. This book holds information on how to pull together different ways in exercising the body that boost the brain performance. Research in the book demonstrates how exercise increases the number of brain cells, and most importantly the connections between them. This process translates into enhanced production of BDNF, the brain derived neurotrophic factor, which acts like a brain catalyst. It increases the production of brain cells and the precious neural pathways.

Research and scientific data aside Suzuki discovered that exercise meditation through movement - concentrating on the next move, the next step or maintaining the rhythm of motion that brings the mind to focus and lets those things that do not matter truly slide.

It is like a training program that makes you aware of your presence and your surrounding. It is a mindfulness training on autopilot. One cannot really focus on the future and the worries that surround it in the middle of an intense workout session.

Suzuki stresses about the benefits of exercise in getting rid of addiction, referring to Odyssey House in New York, which coaches people in rehabilitation, either from drug or alcohol abuse, to run in the New York City Marathon. The reason? you ask, besides reducing stress exercise brings a positive mental change and creates new neural pathways based on the reward system that is similar to addiction however, this addiction is towards improving the quality of life.

The book reminds people that exercising is not only about breathing properly, curbing the spreading waistlines or improving cardio. It can significantly improve the health of your brain even as you grow older.

In popular and social media the focus has usually remained on the brain benefits of exercise on either older people or children. Sufficient evidence suggests that physical activity greatly improves concentration, memory as well as academic performance in school children. There is no reason to think that exercise does not improve the mental health of people in their 20s, 30s or 40s.

Associate Prof. Michael Ridding is a New York scientist with the University of Adelaide's Robinson Research Institute. He thinks that the thirties and forties are extremely crucial for delaying or preventing old age problems with brain health. This period is a steppingstone to set up the brain to resist problems of memory loss later in life.

The benefits of exercising on the brain are generally not highlighted. When surveys ask people what they would do to prevent dementia they talk about brain training programs but almost never about physical activity.

It might seem like a well guarded secret. For instance, when someone clicks on the website of Alzheimer's Australia there are about 10 pages devoted to how exercise positively impacts brain health under the heading Physical Activity for Brain Health and Fighting Dementia. But unfortunately, the majority of people visiting such websites are those that are already affected by the symptoms of dementia or they're seeking help for a loved one.

So let's assume that the connection between physical activity and mental health has been established, but now the question is what kind of exercise is best for the brain and how much or how hard one needs to exercise?

Aerobics like a walking, running or cycling seem to be the most promising right now but much research is needed in setting the schedule of how much one needs to exercise.

But sufficient research suggests that when it comes to how hard one needs to train, then 'moderate intensity' is the phrase that best describes it, where one slightly gets out of breath.