Exercise.You've heard it before: Exercise is good for the body. Now, scientists have found that it's also good for the brain. Researcher Jennifer Weuve and colleagues at the Harvard School of Public Health The Harvard School of Public Health is (colloquially, HSPH) is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University. Located in Longwood Area of the Boston, Massachusetts neighborhood of Mission Hill, next to Harvard Medical School and Cambridge, Massachusetts, wanted to know just how physical activity affects brainpower brain·pow·er n. 1. Intellectual capacity. 2. People of well-developed mental abilities: a country that doesn't value its brainpower. Noun 1. . So they challenged both couch potatoes couch potato An Americanism for a sedentary person, usually ♂, whose predominant non-work activity consists in lying on a couch, watching TV. See Television intoxication 'syndrome.'. Cf Vigorous exercise. and more active people to a mental test. Result? When it came to memory and thinking ability, those who were most active over their lifetime finished first. How does a workout stretch the brain? Robert Sweetgall, a fitness expert who has walked more than 112,654 kilometers (70,000 miles) in his lifetime, explains: "Exercise helps oxygenate oxygenate /ox·y·gen·ate/ (-je-nat) to saturate with oxygen. ox·y·gen·ate or ox·y·gen·ize v. To treat, combine, or infuse with oxygen. (supply oxygen to) the brain. [The supply] makes it function better." That's because when you exercise, your heart beats Discography Track listing # Title 1. I'll Be Over You 3:46 2. Tokyo 3:14 3. Hey (I've Been Feeling Kind Of Lonely) 3:06 4. Only Wanna Be With You 3:54 5. Play It For The Girls 3:30 6. Blue 3:12 7. Purest Delight 3:02 8. faster, pumping more oxygen-filled blood to the body. Like all cells, the brain's neurons Neurons Nerve cells in the brain, brain stem, and spinal cord that connect the nervous system and the muscles. Mentioned in: Speech Disorders (nerve cells) rely on oxygen to keep your mind working. Even walking 15 minutes a day will help you focus better in class, says Sweetgall. So walk on, and wise up! Did You Know? * Besides improving strength and brainpower, exercise has been shown to reduce depression, stress, and sleeping difficulties. * The hippocampus--located in the middle of the brain--is the brain region responsible for memory and learning. Resources * For a great guide to staying fit, check out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Body and Mind Web site: www.bam.gov/fit4life/index.htm * Discover more reasons why exercise is good for the body at: http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/fit/work_it_out.html |
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