Walking grows your brain

I began to take lifting weights much more seriously at the end of my sophomore year of high school. It was a precarious time in my life. I felt like I did not fit in. I was not happy with my appearance, as many high schoolers are not. I was struggling mightily with my mental health and daily fought with depression.

It seemed like the only solace I received was in the gym.

It was in that place that I could take responsibility for how I looked. I could take agency in my own health. I found I was more effective in the sports I participated in. I was less lethargic in school. And I had more good days than I had previously.

It was only later that I learned from doctors what I discovered intuitively: moving your body makes you feel better and has a host of great benefits.

Growing your brain

The hippocampus, a small and complex part of your brain that is in charge of learning and memory, is directly impacted by the movement of your body. Research has found that any type of exercise, including walking even 10 minutes a day, is enough to generate an impulse for this part of your brain to produce new cells.

Your brain actually grows from exercise and Improves the brains ability to retain new memories. It also improves pathways in the area of your brain that improves focus.

This is huge for those who are trying to learn new things, or those trying to perform well at school or in work, or find themselves struggling with brain health as they age.

Effects on anxiety and depression

The connection between working your body out and the improvement of brain health, which in turn curbs anxiety and depression, is well documented.

When you work out, your body begins to produce a host of chemicals that flood the brain and provide a host of different benefits. These neurochemicals naturally enhance your mood and are produced in greater numbers during and after workouts.

Working out also has been linked to improving sleep, increasing self-esteem, and creating moments of social interaction, all of which improve one’s health and decrease the symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Effects the wiring of your brain

Your brain’s ability to form new connections, respond to changes, and learn new things comes down to something called “brain plasticity”.

Your brain becomes more moldable the more you keep active. This is due to the benefits that come from regular exercise such as improved blood circulation, decreased inflammation, and the increase of proteins derived in the brain which support neutron development.

Challenge: Move your body!

It seems obvious, and yet so many people do not. Walking just 10 minutes a day is proven to greatly change the present and future health of your brain and your overall person.

It is a chance for you to become more social by inviting friends to exercise with you. It also could be a chance to put your phone down and walk in silence, as many of us are overrun with constant information and conversation.

Regardless of how you do it, I encourage you to move.

I’d love to hear how you are committing to movement. Be sure to respond to this email with what you do to stay healthy!

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