4 Effective Aerobic Exercises For Brain To Improve Memory And Cognitive Function
Health
Published on: 17-Apr-2024
10 min read
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Anushka Tripathi
4 Effective Aerobic Exercises For Brain To Improve Memory And Cognitive Function
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Exercising the brain to improve memory, concentration, and daily functionality is a top priority for many older adults. However, people of all ages can benefit from incorporating simple aerobic exercises for the brain into their daily lives.
Regular exercise and physical activity for brain health keep you holistically fit and help your body fight health-related issues you might not deal with easily. It also provides positive changes in your physical health. Performing aerobic exercise for the brain at home and meditation can boost positive thinking and relieve signs of depression.
A study by Erickson found that aerobic exercise increases hippocampus volume by 2% in adults after a year. In contrast, the group of participants who underwent stretching exercises exhibited a decrease of 1.4% in hippocampal volume after a year. The same authors (Erickson et al., 2011) conducted a follow-up study that confirmed these findings.
In this blog, you will explore the best aerobic exercise for the brain, including cardio exercises, that can improve cognitive abilities, memory and coordination. Continue reading to gain deeper insight into the topic!
Table Of Contents
What Are The Best Aerobic Exercises For The Brain?
Which Exercise Increases Brain Cells?
Can Aerobic Exercises Improve Memory?
How Exercise Helps Mental Health?
The Final Say
FAQs
References
What Are The Best Aerobic Exercises For The Brain?
Among many healthy habits that an individual should follow regularly is exercising. Physical activity isn’t just about keeping your body fit and your mind healthy. But which aerobic workout for the brain is good for you? Let’s have a look at some of the best aerobic exercises for the brain here:
1. Dance
Dancing is a fun and physically demanding activity and is the best aerobic exercise for the brain that frees your mind and helps improve brain function. Studies have shown that it can reduce the risk of dementia.
Dancing is an excellent workout for the brain, as it involves novelty, complexity, social interaction, and intellectual engagement - all of which are great for the brain. Suppose you're shy about dancing in front of people. In that case, you can always try online streaming platforms like Obé or Sculpt Society, which offer dance cardio workouts, full-body fitness, and many other options.
2. Cycling
Studies have revealed that indoor interval training cycling positively impacts brain function. This is because this exercise is neuroprotective and helps reduce the amount of inflammation in your brain. Inflammation aggravates the changes in Alzheimer’s. Hence, include cycling in your aerobic exercise for brain routine list.
3. Brisk Walking
There are many long-term walking benefits, and fast walking does even more wonders for the brain. According to a 2018 study, walking more than 4,000 steps daily positively affects memory in older adults. Walking is simple, accessible, and (can be) social, requiring no equipment. Hence, a brisk walk in the evening or morning is an excellent aerobic exercise for the brain.
4. Tai Chi
It's no secret that tai chi has numerous health benefits. It is great aerobic exercise for brain health, and when life appears out of balance, it can also help you find your core. Regular tai chi exercise can help lower stress, increase memory, and improve sleep quality. According to a 2013 study, long-term tai chi practice has been linked to anatomical alterations in the brain that increase brain volume.
The best way for beginners to learn the various moves is to enrol in a class. However, you can practice tai chi at any time or place after mastering the fundamentals.
Which Exercise Increases Brain Cells?
After reading about aerobic exercise for brain health, here is a list of exercises that increase brain cells:
Have Fun With A Jigsaw Puzzle |
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Try Your Hand At Cards |
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Build Your Vocabulary |
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Use All Your Senses |
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Learn A New Skill |
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Teach A New Skill To Someone Else |
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Listen To Or Play Music |
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Can Aerobic Exercise Improve Memory?
Aerobic exercise is one of the most promising approaches for enhancing cognitive function in late adulthood. Prior meta-analyses have reported minimal improvements in episodic memory following aerobic exercise but have been limited by restrictive inclusion criteria and infrequent examination of exercise parameters.
Also, aerobic exercise positively influences episodic memory among adults ≥55 years without dementia, with larger effects observed among various sample and intervention characteristics—the clearest moderator being age. These results could have far-reaching clinical and public health relevance, highlighting aerobic exercise as an accessible, non-pharmaceutical intervention to improve episodic memory in late adulthood.
How Exercise Helps Mental Health?
Exercise improves circulation, which means more oxygen-rich blood and nutrients make it to your brain. It also means waste is removed more efficiently.
Exercise enhances synaptic plasticity, which is your brain’s ability to adjust and improve the connections in your brain. This enables you to remember and learn.
Exercise improves neurogenesis, the formation of new neurons in your brain. Those new neurons help us sort information, remember specific moments, and avoid confusion. There’s also evidence that neurogenesis helps us handle stress and emotions and may even help us forget harmful memories.
Choose whatever aerobic or resistance activity you enjoy. The most important thing is that you get up and move regularly.
Also Read: Boost Mental Health with Diet & Exercise
The Final say
Focusing on brain health is one of the best ways to improve concentration, focus, memory, and mental agility at any age. By incorporating all these mental and aerobic exercises into your everyday life exercise routine, you can challenge your mind and sharpen your cognitive skills by dealing with brain-game situations. You can learn something new and enriching every day, seeking perfection and a healthier version of yourself!
FAQs
1. Which is the best exercise for brain health?
Along with the aerobic exercise for the brain, here are some other best exercises for the brain:
Have fun with a jigsaw puzzle
Try your hand at cards
Build your vocabulary
Dance your heart out
Use all your senses
Learn a new skill
Teach a new skill to someone else
Listen to or play music
2. How helpful is aerobic exercise for brain health?
Regular aerobic exercise helps boost blood flow to the brain and also increases the size of the hippocampus, which is the part of the brain involved in verbal memory and learning.
3. Can aerobic exercise for brain help me to sharpen my memory?
Yes, aerobic exercise can improve memory by increasing blood flow to the brain and promoting the growth of new brain cells, which enhances cognitive function and memory retention over time.
4. How to maintain a proper plan for aerobic workout for the brain?
To maintain a healthy lifestyle, along with some exercise for mental health, it is recommended to engage in 2 days per week of cardiovascular exercise with moderate to vigorous intensity. This includes walking, jogging, biking, rowing, elliptical, swimming, and others for 20-30 minutes. Additionally, it's recommended to do 2 days per week of resistance training, which can include lifting weights, body-weight exercises or an at-home workout for 20-30 minutes.
5. What are some knee-friendly aerobic exercises for brain at home?
Low-impact aerobics like swimming, cycling, or using an elliptical machine are knee-friendly exercises that also benefit the brain, promoting cognitive function and overall mental well-being when done regularly at home.
6. How cardio exercise for brain is helpful?
One important benefit of exercise is that it helps the brain make new neurons. In the hippocampus, a brain structure key to learning and memory, cells called neural progenitors give rise to new brain cells.
7. What are the benefits of exercise for mental health?
Exercise improves mental health by reducing your level of anxiety, depression, and negative mood, and it improves self-esteem and cognitive function. Exercise is also known to alleviate symptoms such as low self-esteem and social withdrawal.
8. What is the importance of mental health?
Mental health involves emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It affects the way you think, feel, and act. It also helps determine how you handle stress and your healthy lifestyle choices. Mental health plays a key role at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.
9. Why are exercise and physical activity necessary for brain health?
Engaging in regular physical activity helps enhance cognitive function, boost emotional well-being, and reduce the risk of cognitive decline and mental health-related issues like anxiety and depression.
References
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