Many of us have been less active during the lockdown and stay-at-home phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. That lessened activity can result in reduced fitness and increased weight gain, neither of which is good for your health. While we often hear that exercise improves the body, less often do we hear of the positive effects of exercise on the brain. Physical activity strengthens both the body and brain. Current guidelines from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommend that most adults do 150 minutes per week of moderate intensity aerobic physical activity and twice-weekly muscle strengthening. Many activities count such as brisk walking, gardening, walking the dog, etc. Many people are aware of cardiovascular training but are less aware of the need for muscle strengthening as we age. That strength training helps build muscle and bone, which protects against injury. But you say that you don't like lifting weights. Don't worry. You can do other strengthening forms of exercise such as yoga, tai chi, and Pilates.
Now here's the bad news. Only 20% of Americans get the requisite 150 minutes per week, more than half of all baby boomers (people born between 1946 and 1964) report doing no exercise at all, and over 80 million Americans over age 6 are completely inactive from an exercise perspective. We have heard the consequences of this inactivity and they are not good. People with very low levels of physical activity are at higher risk for a variety of diseases to include heart disease, diabetes, cancer, and Alzheimer's Disease. Prior to development of these diseases, your inactivity can worsen arthritis symptoms, increase lower back pain, and lead to depression and anxiety. Stress, to include that of the pandemic, worsens both your mental state as well as your physical health. So what can be said about your brain and exercise? There is research linking exercise to reduced depression, better memory, and increased learning. Exercise is one of the better ways to prevent or delay the onset of Alzheimer's Disease.
In other posts, I have noted several promising lines of research. For example, in CNN Health News, author Morgan Manella noted recent studies showing that higher levels of physical fitness in middle-aged adults were associated with larger brain volumes five years later, particularly in brain areas having to do with memory such as the hippocampus (Kilgore, Olsen and Weber, 2013, Scientific Reports). In a study published in the online journal Neurology (Wiley et al), the authors found that older people who exercised regularly experienced a slower rate of mental decline. Why does exercise affect brain structure and function for the better? While scientists are not completely sure, it has been shown that exercise improves blood flow to the brain, feeding the growth of new blood vessels and even new brain cells. This is considered due to the effect of the protein BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor). BDNF stimulates the growth of new neurons and repairs and protects brain cells from degeneration. This is exciting because for so many decades it was thought that when brain cells (neurons) die, that's the end. However, we are learning so much about how you can preserve and increase your brain functioning through exercise. By the way, speaking of preservation, there is research showing that moderate intensity exercise may slow down the aging process of cells. So what are you waiting for? Lace up those athletic shoes and get going. Even in a time of COVID, take a brisk walk (appropriately socially distanced), get out into the garden, get some light weights or find other strengthening strategies. These will help preserve your brain, improve your mood, and reduce your anxiety and perceived stress. Exercise is but one effective way of reducing stress in these times. For more information about stress management, please see our book (I Can’t Take It Anymore: How to Manage Stress so It Doesn’t Manage You; Paul G. Longobardi, Ph.D., and Janice B. Longobardi, R.N., B.S.N., P.H.N.), available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/1542458056. For more information about the book, authors, and stress, please visit our website at www.manageyourhealthandstress.com.
If you haven't been active in quite some time, consult your primary care physician as to an appropriate level of exercise at which to begin. As always, don't let mind clutter get in your way such as "I'm too old", "I have no time", or "It's too late". These are all falsehoods you tell yourself and convince yourself are true. Challenge them and get on with improving your health and well being.
Good luck on your journey.
Dr. Paul Longobardi
For more information on these and related topics, please visit my website at www.successandmindset.com.