Enriquez, Carla C.
BSPsych I-C
4-20-20
THE BRAIN-CHANGING BENEFITS OF EXERCISE
(Reflection Paper)
It might be common knowledge that exercise helps us maintain a healthy weight
and a healthy heart, but fascinating studies about exercise and its benefits
show that it can also help in improving our mood and focus. Exercise may also
help protect our brain from developing illnesses such as depression,
Alzheimer’s disease and Dementia. These are the immediate, long-lasting and
protective benefits that exercise brings to us.
First, those “immediate” benefits, include an increase in
neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin and noradrenaline. The increase
in dopamine, also known as, the “motivation molecule”, can improve our ability
to focus.The surge in production of serotonin (“happy chemical”) will improve
our over-all mood. An increase in noradrenaline, whose general function is to
mobilize our brain and body for action,will enhance our body’s reaction time.
Second, the “long-lasting effects” may come from improving one’s
cardiorespiratory function, which will then improve the brain’s anatomy over
time. An example of this would be the hippocampus,which plays a major role in
learning and memory, regular exercise helps in the creation of brand new brain
cells therefore increasing the volume of the hippocampus which then improves
our ability to learn as well as our long-term memory.
Lastly, is its protective factors, by exercising regularly we make our
hippocampus and prefrontal cortex bigger and stronger over time. These two parts
of the brain are the most susceptible to neurodegenerative diseases such as
Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease.
But these benefits, except for the immediate ones, will only be possible
if we exercise regularly and live a healthy lifestyle.We should work hard and
be constant if we want to experience the benefits that exercise has in store
for us.
Video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHY0FxzoKZE