Three Physical Activities Your Brain Loves

We all know that physical activity is great for the brain. Exercise oxygenates the blood and stimulates circulation, both of which are beneficial for your brain. It improves and sharpens intellectual functions and perception. But that’s not all. It also inhibits the production of cortisol, the stress hormone, and therefore keeps your emotions in balance.

Another thing that physical activity does for your brain is promote a state of well-being and happiness. That’s because exercise stimulates the production of serotonin. This chemical change makes us feel better.

An interesting study has been done. Researchers wanted to see the benefits of walking, dancing and stretching. They wondered which of these three activities had the most positive effects. To find out, they conducted an experiment with a group of volunteers. Let’s take a look at their conclusions and see what physical activities your brain likes.

Physical Activities Your Brain Loves: An Experiment

The first thing the researchers did was form a group of volunteers, 174 in all. They were all people over 60, and some were even over 70. It is well known that there is a degeneration of white matter in the brain at these ages. This has many different effects, such as memory loss and a breakdown of cognitive functions in general.

All the volunteers lived a rather sedentary life. Most of them did not engage in physical activity. Those who did, did so very sporadically and for short periods. It was the ideal group to see what changes occur in the brain as a result of physical activity.

In the beginning, they were all tested for cardio. They also underwent tests to determine their cognitive capacity and their computing speed. These tests served as the basis for the volunteers.

Physical Activities Your Brain Loves: A Comparison

The group of volunteers was divided into three subgroups, each individual randomly placed in a subgroup. The first of these groups started a walking program. Members had to walk at a brisk pace for an hour three times a week.

The second subgroup did stretching exercises. They performed muscle stretching exercises three times a week. They also performed balance exercises and other similar activities under supervision.

The third group went to a dance studio three times a week. They had to not only dance, but also learn a choreography. The choreography gradually became more complex. They used a simple rhythm as a basis: country music.

Physical Activities Your Brain Loves: Conclusions

The experiment lasted six months. At the end of that time, researchers used tomographies and MRIs to see what changes had occurred in the brain. Some of the results matched what was expected, but others were really great.

Initially, most notably, white brain matter deteriorated mainly in participants who had led a sedentary life before the experiment. But there was visible improvement in all participants. They all got better results in the cognitive and memory tests than at the beginning of the experiment.

The biggest surprise was with the results of the third group. This was the group that had spent time learning a complex dance choreography. All their measurements were better than the others.

The experts indicated that this was because physical activity was associated with a mental, social and recreational activity. Therefore it was more complete. In many participants, researchers even saw an increase in white matter density in the brain.

Agnieszka Burzynska, one of the study directors, said a similar study was done in 2014. At the time, it could be shown that the longer a person sat, the more their brain deteriorated, even if they exercised at the end of the day.

The general conclusion is therefore twofold. First, a sedentary lifestyle affects the brain. Second, exercise can reactivate the brain. And the bonus conclusion? Of all the physical activities your brain loves, dancing is the most effective.