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Studies show brain benefits of exercise

Tuesday, May 6, 2014
Your Daily Health
Doing 20 minutes of intense exercise three times a week increases the size of your hippocampus, the memory centre in your brain.



It’s long been thought that a Body Mass Index (BMI) between 21 and 25 is associated with better academic performance. But regardless of your BMI, doing 20 minutes of intense exercise three times a week increases the size of your hippocampus, the memory centre in your brain. 








How “intense” must the exercise be? If you’re under 20-years-old, it should raise your heart rate into the range of 145 to 190 beats per minute. If you play a strenuous sport (like lacrosse, soccer, football or hockey), you probably achieve this during practices and games. 




You can use this to your advantage right now. In Naperville, Illinois, students who participated in an exercise programme before school, then attended their most difficult class, reported that the class seemed easier and their test scores improved. That’s because exercise also improves the ability to focus. 




Bottom line: as an athlete, you’re already ahead of the game. But you can add to your advantage by enjoying physical activities apart from your sport for at least 20 minutes three times a week. That’s what we do (Dr Oz plays 3-on-3 basketball, Dr Roizen plays squash).




I haven’t exercised at all. How do I get started?


Start by walking 30 minutes a day at a brisk pace. That will establish a base level of fitness for your muscles, heart and brain.



Back pain is actually fairly common among adolescents. Poor posture is one of the culprits. Whenever possible, suck in your stomach and tighten your glutes at the same time. This tends to straighten your spine—and it helps you sculpt those washboard abs. Abdominal muscle strength protects your back.


What if I just hate exercise altogether?


You don’t need to do traditional exercises to get the mental benefits. Find something that feels like play, like Zumba or dancing—anything that gets your heart rate up. Long walks in the woods are lovely, but they don’t cut it as intense exercise; find something vigorous you enjoy doing at least three times a week to build your heart, muscles and brain.

This article originally appeared on Brain Benefits of Exercise (Yahoo!News)