Three more reasons to get your bod moving
Who doesn’t want to be smarter? Well, new research reveals that the more you exercise, the more you achieve a myriad of benefits, among them increased brain power. Turns out, not only does exercise make you (fitter, hotter, happier, and) smarter, but it makes you more social and improves your self-image!
Exercise Makes You Smarter
Check out a cool infographic by clicking here. Dr. Joseph Mercola says, “Most people don’t understand that your brain is pliable … Exercise is a powerful way to encourage your brain to work at optimum capacity by causing nerve cells to multiply, strengthening their interconnections and protecting them from damage.”
That’s right, exercising your muscles exercises your brain too!
Exercise Makes You More Social
A new article in Clinical Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, examines two hypotheses for the link between exercise and improved mental health. The social interaction hypothesis suggests that the social aspects of physical activity—like camaraderie, relationships, and support from team members—boost mental health in exercisers.
Researchers found that Dutch youth who participated in organized sports were at a much lower risk for mental health problems. But people of any age can partake in organized sports to get the mental health- and brain-boosting benefits of social interaction!
Exercise Improves Self-Image
The second hypothesis the article studies was the self-image hypothesis, which suggests that physical activity has positive effects on body weight and body structure, leading to positive feedback from peers (which links back to the social benefits), improved self-image, and ultimately improving mental health.
The researchers found that adolescents who were physically inactive or who perceived their bodies as either “too fat” or “too thin” were at greater risk for both internalizing problems—which shows up as depression or anxiety—and externalizing problems—which can show up as aggression or substance abuse. Exercising helps alleviates these problems and build self-confidence!
Just three more reasons to stick to those resolutions to exercise this year!
Image: Debashis Mukherjee via NOAA’s National Ocean Service