Your brain doesn’t
operate in total isolation from your body. Taking regular exercise and avoiding
getting overweight could help boost your memory as well as your physical
health.
Today, with
cheap transportation, abundant fatty and sugary foods and very few people doing
physically demanding jobs, it’s easier than ever to become physically out of
shape. But inactivity can be bad for your brain and, in particular, your
memory. And this is especially true the older you are.
Here’s an idea
for you…
Get hold of a
pedometer. These are small devices which measure how many steps you’ve taken.
Try wearing it each day, and whenever possible, try taking the stairs rather
than the lift, and try walking rather than driving. Keep a daily or weekly
record of how many steps you’ve taken, and aim to constantly improve it. You
could even get competitive and ask a friend to wear one too.
Moderate
cardiovascular exercise has been found to improve memory abilities, and ward
off the development of dementia. The key is that the exercise session needs to
be at least thirty minutes long, and you should do it several times a week,
ideally every day. There is also growing evidence that obesity may itself
impair memory abilities. A hormone called leptin, which help us regulate our
appetite, does not reach the brain so well in many obese people. Lack of this
hormone in the brains of mice impaired their long-term memory and ability to
learn.
“Losing weight
will improve how you regulate your glucose, and we have shown that improved
glucose regulation is associated with better memory.”
Dr. Antonio Convit, New York University School of Medicine
However, we
don’t currently have a complete understanding of the benefits of exercise on
memory and more research needs to be done. So far the evidence suggests that
its older people particularly older women, who gain the most benefit to their
memory from exercising. But it’s possible that the effectiveness may indeed
vary from person to person. Nevertheless, given the health benefits of
exercise, what do you have to lose? Should you exercise regularly? It’s a
no-brainer!
