According to a neuroscientist at New York University, taking a daily bike ride or brisk walk is a sure way to boost brain power.
Dr. Wendy Suzuki is a professor of neural sciences and psychology at New York University.
Dr. Wendy Suzuki, a neuroscientist at New York University, said physical activity “is the most transformative thing you can do for your brain health.”
Every time you move your body, “you release a lot of neurochemicals, and I call it a neurochemical bubble bath for your brain,” she added.
Exercise is crucial for brain health because it improves blood flow to the organ and increases the size of the hippocampus, an area crucial for forming and storing memories and learning new things.
It may also create new brain cells in the hippocampus and prevent brain atrophy, a hallmark of dementia.
Exercise improves blood flow to the brain and increases the size of the hippocampus, which is crucial for memory consolidation and learning new things.
Exercise also produces an increase in synapses in the prefrontal cortex, the area where information is processed and contextualized. This improvement enhances our ability to make decisions, reason and express ourselves.
As the American population ages, so will dementia rates. Currently, an estimated 5.8 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s disease (the most common form of dementia), the vast majority of whom are over the age of 65.
It is estimated that by 2050, this number will increase to almost 13 million.
However, Dr. Suzuki said TODAY exercising “basically helps you grow a big, fat, spongy brain every time you move.”
She recommends doing aerobic exercise to get your heart rate up three to four times a week for about 30 minutes each time.
Official CDC exercise guidelines recommend that people get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity per week, or about 20 minutes per day.
Within that time, the agency recommends devoting two days to muscle-strengthening exercises.
Yet for all its benefits, Americans aren’t getting the exercise they need.
CDC data released in January 2023 showed that only 28 percent of adults ages 18 and older met aerobic and strength guidelines for weekly physical activity.
There is now evidence that just 20 minutes of physical activity per day reduces the risk of cancer, dementia and heart disease.
Physical activity has been shown to be effective in strengthening the brain and reducing the risk of dementia.
A 2017 study in Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences found a link between low physical activity and an increased risk of dementia.
They performed MRI scans on approximately 2,000 people aged 60 and older and found that higher activity levels corresponded with larger hippocampal volume.
The most encouraging finding was that the protective effects were greatest in those over 75 years of age, providing further evidence that it is never too late to start.
Another study published in July 2022 in the journal Neurology analyzed the health information of 501,400 people from a British health database over 11 years.
Researchers found that people who consistently engaged in vigorous activity (sports or exercise) had a 35 percent lower risk of developing dementia.
Even people who reported doing housework saw a benefit and had a 21 percent lower risk of dementia.
A separate October 2022 meta-analysis of 38 international studies also published in the journal Neurology found that people who regularly engaged in activities such as walking, running, dancing, playing sports or swimming had a 17 percent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease. compared to those who did. No.
Health officials recommend that people do 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity or aerobic exercise per week and two days of muscle-strengthening exercises.
In addition to physical activity, Dr. Suzuki outlined other steps people can take to nourish their brains. She recommended getting about eight hours of sleep a night, managing stress and anxiety with breathing exercises and meditation, maintaining strong social ties, and eating a healthy diet rich in omega fatty acids and protein.
Sleep allows the brain to clear away the day’s waste, including dead cells and leftover proteins that are byproducts of natural metabolic processes.
Meanwhile, social connections help improve memory and mood. Humans tend to be sociable and maintaining healthy relationships is crucial to all aspects of well-being.
Proper nutrition is also essential. He recommended specific foods that can improve brain health: milk, yogurt, carrots, spinach, granola and tomatoes.
All of them are rich sources of essential vitamins A, C and K, minerals such as calcium and iron, fiber and probiotics and antioxidants, which help feed the brain.