When we think of exercising, most of us expect stronger muscles, a toned body or even better endurance. But what if we told you that the experience of movement also reinvents the brain and nervous system? For decades, researchers have demonstrated how regular exercise boosts brainpower and mental health. It is a phenomenon that many, if not all, of us have experienced and that is often described by both athletes and exercise scientists as the nervous system’s having been “rewired” through exercise.
The Link Between Exercise and the Brain
Your nervous system, which consists of your brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves, is in charge of every function in your body. All bodily movement, thought and emotion rely on this complex web. Exercise activates this system in several ways. Cardiovascular exercises, such as running and cycling, improve blood flow, bringing more oxygen and nutrients to the brain. Weight lifting and coordination training excite motor neurons, which encourages more rapid fire communication between the brain and muscles.
Neuroplasticity: The Brain’s Superpower
The nervous system has a phenomenal ability called neuroplasticity the ability to learn, reorganize and adapt. Physical activity increases neuroplasticity the brain’s ability to create new neural pathways and reinforce existing ones. Aerobic exercise for instance, enhances the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) a protein known to support the growth of new neurons and synapses. This rewiring eventually results in improved cognitive function, memory retention, and the ability to learn.
Exercise Makes You Happy The first thing to keep in mind bring exercise improves the mood and mental health.
One of the most obvious benefits of reprogramming the nervous system with training is a brighter mood. Exercise prompts the production of neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and dopamine, which are important for happiness and motivation. Regular exercisers are often less anxious, less depressed, and better able to manage stress. The nervous system becomes stronger as it learns to process stressors.
Coordination, Reflexes, and Motor Skills
Further, exercise is beneficial to the nervous system as it enhances coordination, reflexes and motor skills. These are activities such as yoga, martial arts, or balancing training that need the brain to speak very precisely to our muscles. As time goes on, this helps to strengthen neural connections between these muscles so that movements end up being a lot smoother and efficient. Athletes often evidence this supercharged wiring, displaying great agility, speed of reaction and body awareness.
Exercise isn’t just a mechanism for physical well-being; it’s an underused means of yielding a healthier nervous system. By stimulating neuroplasticity, developing neural pathways, and supporting mental health, movement quite literally re-wires the brain. Whether it’s walking, dancing, weightlifting or yoga, the more you exercise your nervous system in a beneficial way, the stronger your cognitive powers and emotional resilience become — basically all the aspects of vitality. Keep going and one day you’ll realise how different your nervous system now is, as compared to before
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