Exercise makes you smarter!

Recently three studies have been published that show, once again, that regular exercise really does help your thinking.

Senility

As I age, this of course becomes more important. I love to exercise hard, so I was happy to see the study where researchers looked at 1200 patients of average age 70. Those who had low levels of physical activity had significantly decreased cognitive functioning as compared to the active group. So get off the couch!

Willey JZ et al., Neurology 2016 Mar 23;

Neurogenesis - or Brain Health

In a study of rats (which may or may not apply to us) researchers discovered that aerobic exercise (like running, cycling, etc) but not resistance training (like weight lifting - I wonder how they convinced the animals to do bench press?) resulted in increased new growth in the hippocampus. This is the area of the brain that is crucial for memory and deteriorates as we age. I love cycling, and you should, once again, get off the couch and do something!!

Nokia MS et al. J Physiol 2016 Feb 4

Bullying and Mental Health in teens

In a study of 13,000 students, grades 9-12, researchers found that increased frequency of exercise was associated with decreased frequencies of sadness, suicidal ideation, or suicide attempt. These protective effects of exercise were similar though slightly weaker among bullied students; those who reported exercising ≥4 days/week had a 23% lower likelihood of suicidal ideation and attempt. So keep an eye on your kids; and encourage regular exercise!

Sibold J et al. J Am Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry 2015 Jul 17.