Gerrard Kaonga
A new study found that a 12-week exercise program saw a significant improvement to the brain.
There are plenty of clear benefits to doing regular exercise that people are pretty much completely aware of at this point.
Any form of exercise, including things as simple as walks can vastly improve both the physical and mental benefits for the body.
However, a new study found that after measuring two groups of people, the group that did this one exercise saw a boost to their brain.
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UK scientist tracked 23 overweight adults in their mid-30s and asked half to complete a 12-week exercise program. The other half did little to no exercise.
The group exercising were doing a cycling program which led the team to conclude that cycling for as little as 17 minutes a day could benefit the brain and potentially help ward off dementia.
After exercising, the blood test on the group that was cycling showed that they had a significant surge in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a chemical often dubbed the brain's 'fertilizer' because it helps neurons grow and communicate.
For the other group that did little to no exercise, the levels of the chemical remain unchanged.
Scans also showed that cyclists’ brains had lower activity during attention and inhibition tasks which the team said suggests that the brain was working more efficiently and by extension had improved function.
The team of researchers was led by Dr Flaminia Ronca who spoke on their findings.
She said: “These results suggest that increasing physical fitness can enhance BDNF [levels] in response to acute bouts of exercise.
“This might, in turn, play a part in the [improvement] of neural function during executive tasks after acute exercise”
More than 7 million adults currently have dementia in the US according to current estimates.
According to the Mayo Clinic: “Dementia is caused by damage to or loss of nerve cells and their connections in the brain. The symptoms depend on the area of the brain that's affected. Dementia can affect people differently.”
The clinic also noted that there is no sure way to prevent dementia but there are some recommended steps that may help.
This includes, keeping the mind active, be physically and socially active, quit smoking, getting enough vitamins, Manage cardiovascular risk factors, taking care of your mental health, get good-quality sleep, and maintaining a healthy diet.