Memory and movement

In Guide by Corinne Perret Views: 3

Who is active and moving around feels often balanced and mentally fitter. The well-being of a person depends on many factors, which influence each other.

Movement does not only physically fit.

Regular, moderate physical activity positively affects physical health. By endurance sports such as walking and cycling, you can strengthen heart and circulation, prevent many diseases, or alleviate them. But to what extent physical fitness affects memory? Can one operate physical “brain training” in the truest sense of the word?

Studies, light physical training quite positively affect specific cognitive functions of the brain and thus improve the mental performance. Regional improved blood circulation in the brain the nerve growth can – encourage even in old age, because the brain is malleable for life.

Movement keeps mentally fit

Who is moving, promotes his brain power.

Movement promotes certain functions of the brain: even on a normal walk the brain almost 15 per cent is circulation better, which has a positive impact on the mental fitness. However, stronger physical activities cause any further significant increase in blood flow. A moderate, regular movement is therefore quite sufficient to support the grey cells. Benefit not only older, younger people – who is active as a young adult, improved research has shown that parts of his memory performance in the age. Just like a muscle, also the brain needs regular exercise to keep fit until old age.

Physical activity contributes to the formation of synapses in the brain. The synapses connect the nerve cells, so that information is passed from cell to cell. But not only the movement alone, many conditions associated with it, provide mental fitness. It is the development of social competence in the team sport or dealing with the rules of a sport: all along the way, many sports have positive properties, which also demand our brain. And who is trained, i.e. socially active regularly with other people together, contributes a lot to do so, to slow down the natural spiritual degradation. Whether Bowling Club, Nordic-walking place or water gymnastics: not least bring common leisure activities more fun and increase well-being.

Completely fit in the age

Also in the age, you can do much for the mental fitness.

Who snaps which rust – and also in the brain. But even older people who have moves so far little can improve their brain performance by physical activity. :

Whether cycling, walking or swimming: it no maximum competitive sports main must exercise, and the best moderate. Seniors who want to become physically active, should be in advance just in case the doctor checkup. Special courses can be to train according to his age, and stimulate quite incidentally also the grey cells. It is important, above all, it’s also fun.

Research has shown that already light, regular physical activity – such as the three fleet, one-hour walk in the week – can improve the memory capacity of older people or receive. In addition, scientists have found that older people who are physically active, compared to unsportsmanlike people have a better spatial memory and have a larger hippocampus. This part of the brain plays an important role in the formation of memory.

Especially people that have already a mild cognitive impairment, but still no dementia, can benefit from movement. Already an average twenty minutes of swimming, dancing or walking on the day sufficient in a study, to achieve positive effects on people with mild memory problems. Thus persons who may suffer from a precursor of Alzheimer’s disease, can improve their memory by physical activity.

More information

Book tips:

Super factor movement

John Ratey, Eric Hagerman

350 Pages, vak-Verlag, 2009 everybody knows that movement is healthy and increases the concentration in young and old alike. Super factor informed movement comprehensively what causes movement in our brain. The well known psychiatrist Dr. Ratey in easily understandable way and with many illustrative case studies showing how and why physical activity promotes not only the development of intelligence, but also the social and emotional behavior, and helps to avoid diseases.

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Sources:

Stroth, S. et al.: aerobic endurance exercise benefits memory and affect in young adults. Neuropsychological rehabilitation, vol. 19, Issue 2, pp. 223-243 (April 2009)

Online information of the German Olympic Sportbunds: www.richtigfitab50.de (stand: 2009)

Lute song, N. et al.: effect of physical activity on cognitive function in older adults at risk for Alzheimer’s disease: A randomized trial. The journal of the American Medical Association, vol.. Vol. 300, iss. 9, pp. 1027-1037 (03.09.2008)

Press release of the German medical sheet: sport trains the memory (03.09.2008)