How Exercise Helps Your Brain Work Better

Do you want your brain to work better? Do you want to be able to think more clearly, remember better and feel better?
If you want to boost your brain power, you may already know that giving your brain the right kind of nutrition will help your brain work better. But did you know that an important part of boosting your brain power is getting regular physical exercise?
Are you surprised to learn that exercise is important if you want your brain to work better?
We often forget that the brain is actually a part of our flesh and blood. Because your brain is a part of your body, it needs to be nourished and looked after, just like the rest of you.
Your brain needs more oxygen than any other organ, and it gets this oxygen from the blood that circulates throughout your entire body. Your brain also gets lots of other important nutrients from your blood, such as the glucose that is the fuel the brain cells need to burn to make energy.
In addition, your blood also carries a lot of important chemical messengers such as hormones that help different parts of the body communicate with each other, as well as with the brain.
If your circulation is poor, or if your nutrititon is inadequate, your brain power will suffer. Physical exercise is a great way to help improve the circulation of your blood, not just to your brain, but to the rest of your body as well.
Many scientific studies of humans and animals show that physical exercise can help the brain work better. Here are some of the ways that your brain will benefit when you exercise your body:
· With regular exercise the circulation of blood within your brain will improve.
· Regular exercise can help reduce high blood pressure. Blood pressure that is too high is suspected of damaging brain cells and high blood pressure greatly increases the likelihood of a stroke.
· Exercise improves the levels of oxygen in the blood.
· Exercise improves the metabolism of your brain cells and speeds up the removal of waste products produced by your brain.
· Regular physical activity, particularly aerobic exercise, makes the heart muscle stronger. When your heart is strong, your entire body and your brain benefit from improved circulation.
· Exercising regularly can help improve your cholesterol levels. Too much cholesterol can contribute to clogging your arteries.
· Exercise can reduce the negative effects of longterm stress which can damage the brain.
· Regular exercise can relieve depression and improve self esteem.
· Regular exercise will help you to sleep better at night.
· Exercise helps to regulate the levels of blood sugar which is particularly important for diabetics.
· Exercise can increase the levels of the important brain chemicals called norepinephrine and dopamine. These brain chemicals can boost moods, and your brain uses them to lock in memories of facts and events.
· Researchers have discovered in animal studies that exercise improves the production of a chemical named nerve growth factor. This chemical helps brain cells to make new connections to each other.
If you are serious about wanting your brain to work better, you will have to learn to give your brain what it needs. That means learning how to feed it and nourish it properly, getting enough sleep, reducing stress, and getting regular physical exercise.
Make a commitment to exercise regularly and it will pay off in so many ways. You’ll feel physically and mentally more energized, and less stressed. You’ll think more clearly and feel more alive.
This article is by Royane Real, author of the new downloadable book, “How to Be Smarter – Use Your Brain to Learn Faster, Remember Better, and Be More Creative” To boost your brain power, download