Research Shows Exercise Is Highly Beneficial for Brain Health
The famous Dutch neuroscientist Swaab once said that physical exercise is far less important than mental exercise, but the latest research may overturn this view. Exercise and mental training are not unrelated: physical activity promotes brain health. Exercise not only improves physical strength but also brain health. Scientists have found that exercise improves cognition and mood in laboratory animals and lowers the risk of neurodegeneration; several new studies demonstrate that exercise has far-reaching effects on various biological systems.
A recent collaborative study led by the Stanford University School of Medicine was published in the journal Nature. The researchers performed nearly 10,000 measurements across 20 animal tissues to examine changes in laboratory mice running on small treadmills after eight weeks of endurance training. The results showed that exercise significantly affected the animals' immune system, stress response, energy production and metabolism. In addition, the study found that endurance training helps improve muscle function in diabetic patients and promotes liver health.
Along similar lines, a research group at the University of Queensland in Australia completed another study, published in Aging Cell. Examining individual brain cells in laboratory mice, they found that exercise profoundly affects gene expression in microglia—the immune cells that support brain function in the central nervous system. Experiments depleting microglia showed that the beneficial effect of exercise on the generation of new neurons in the hippocampus (a brain region crucial for memory, learning and emotion) depends on microglia. The group found that exercise effectively fights aging, restoring the microglial gene profile to a youthful state.
Besides endurance exercise, other aerobic exercise, strength training and balance training all benefit brain health; tai chi and dance show the most obvious benefits. The square-dancing and group tai-chi sessions beloved by older Chinese men and women therefore not only strengthen the body but also sharpen the mind. In real life we also see that exercise regulates mood; some depressed patients improve markedly, and even recover, after sticking with exercise. Exercise clearly increases alertness and improves memory; elderly people who love sports are less likely to develop dementia than those who avoid going out.
As people age, the brain inevitably undergoes irreversible degeneration, and the health of one's brain directly determines the quality of later life. Dementia is becoming increasingly common; by 2030 China is expected to have 50 million Alzheimer's patients, whose brains decline to the point of inability to care for themselves, placing a heavy burden on society and families. Research showing that exercise promotes brain health offers new ideas for brain protection—a boon for those who dislike exercising their brains through reading, thinking and calculating. We should encourage the elderly in our families to leave the house and actively take up various exercises.
People should develop the habit of exercise when young: walking, running, swimming, Pilates, cycling, ball sports, tai chi and dance are all healthful activities. Sticking with exercise not only helps control weight but also improves mood, and some activities help expand social connections. Active people live more positively and optimistically, with greater autonomy and self-care, than inactive ones.