Does Simple Really Work For Brain Health?
Turns Out It's Not Rocket Surgery.
The Brain and Body Warrior
Read time: 3-4 mins
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On today’s menu: Does simple really work for brain health? (turns out it’s not rocket surgery).
The Body
If your brain doesn’t work right, you don’t work right.
It’s no more complicated than that, really.
Rocket surgery it is not.
You’ve likely felt the effects of impaired brain function at some stage.
Brain fog. Low energy or fatigue. Irritability and low mood. An inability to make good decisions or think clearly.
Or perhaps, like me, you’ve experienced anxiety.
Maybe even depression.
It’s hard to enjoy life in any of these states.
And all of that is without mentioning the more serious neurological conditions — such as Alzheimer’s or dementia — which are no doubt linked to the overall health and function of your brain.
This is exactly why I’m so f*****g obsessed with looking after my brain.
Because what I’ve experienced, and learned, time and time again is this:
Your brain health determines the quality of your life.
The problem?
Modern lifestyle factors are destroying the health of our brains — and it shows.
Increased rates of anxiety and depression.
Decreased attention spans.
More people complaining of low energy, mood or brain fog — and frighteningly portraying it as a ‘normal’ part of aging.
So, how do you actually protect your brain and keep it sharp long term?
Supplements?
Superfoods?
The next “silver bullet” health trend?
Perhaps.
These things have their place and inherent value — whether minimal or otherwise.
But, as it turns out, there’s something ultra simple you can do to keep your brain your firing:
Move.
Again, it’s not exactly brain science.
How you move your body — and the kind of movements you engage in — can dramatically increase the volume and function of many different regions of your brain — as well as boost overall brain health.
At its most basic, physical movement is good for increasing blood flow to your brain.
This is critical because strong blood flow — and the delivery of oxygen it provides — is important for overall brain function, including memory, cognition and waste removal.
Moreover, decreased blood flow to the brain is thought to be linked to things like Alzheimer’s.
But the science behind why it matters so much is even more fascinating, and complex, than that.
Exercise, among other things, has been shown to increase the psychical volume of the hippocampus, your brain’s memory center.
It also releases BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor), which has a host of amazing benefits for your brain, including helping with learning and neuroplasticity, mood regulation and protection against neurodegenerative diseases.
Dancing has been shown to increase the size and volume of many different regions of your brain, such as the hippocampus and sensorimotor cortex.
Using your non dominant hand — a novelty for your brain — results in more neural connections and similar growth in volume of various brain regions too.
In this context, the volume and size of your brain, and its different regions, is believed to correlate to better functionality.
As Dr Daniel Amen says size matters when it comes to your brain.
Now, for the all benefits that movement has, lack of movement creates just as many issues.
As outlined by Peter Egocuse in his book “Pain Free” if you fail to use certain muscles in meaningful and regular ways MRI scans will actually show decreased thickness and volume in the parts of your brain responsible for the movement of those muscles.
This decrease in size directly impacts the functionality and effectiveness of these regions of your brain, as already mentioned.
Basically, your movement patterns are directly reflected in your brain — for better or worse.
But, again, either way, movement is one of those things that’s gone by the wayside in modern life — but it is the most fundamental and important aspect of being and feeling human.
And this is where you can take charge.
Find more ways to move and use your body in new and novel ways.
Get creative.
Have fun.
Take back your fundamental human right that the modern world seems so determined to take away from you — and look after your brain at the same time.
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