Exercise: Miracle Grow for the Brain
For those of us living in cold climates…life is changing rapidly. The heavy coats, scarves and gloves have appeared and we need to make sure we have good tires on our cars for traction in the snow and ice.
The temptation when it becomes so cold is to hunker down and hibernate like a bear. I know that is my temptation. One of my favorite pastimes in the world is to walk with my dog, but when winter kicks in here in Wisconsin, the ice can be treacherous. As a kid growing up in Arizona I am someone who despises the short, dark, icy days of winter. But I’m trying to learn how to embrace it, since we have it 5 months of the year in WI. The Danish word I’m trying to embrace is Hygge- A quality of coziness that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being.
But what does this have to do with thriving, especially for our listeners in warm climates?
Brain research will tell us that just as those of us who live in cold regions want to hunker down and sleep, what we really need to do is become more active…and that is the case for all of us, regardless of the climate we live in.
Neuroscientists estimate that the brain processes 2,000 bits of information per second! That’s a lot of information coming into our system at any time. And our brain is very good at it. However, if we feel upset, anxious, bored, or depressed, we don’t attend to this information as well and are unable to process it as effectively. One of the sure fire solutions to help all of these conditions, is exercise.
When we sit for long periods of time, it can affect our posture, our spine, our muscles, even our vision. We also have limited oxygen for our brain to use, if we are sitting too much. A study by Crantz in the late 1990’s suggested that we intentionally move every 10 minutes.
John Ratey, who wrote “A User’s Guide to the Brain” calls exercise the Miracle grow of the brain!
Exercise actually changes the neuro-chemistry in our brains. The quickest way to balance out feelings of anxiousness, frustration, or anger is 20 minutes of brisk physical activity. Have you ever been nervous or upset and you went for brisk walk and you started to settle down?
Physical activity improves memory, concentration and it helps us re-frame negatives into positives.
Also, when we can incorporate movement into learning, the lesson sinks in better. When we can use movement, music, and smells, the memory of that lesson will be much richer and thinker. That information is now stored in multiple lobes of the brain and it will be easier to retrieve. You can learn more about this in our very first episode of our podcast 5toThrive.
Movement and social interaction increases dopamine levels in the brain. This is such an important neurotransmitter. With increased levels of dopamine we feel more positive but it can also increase our memory and level of alertness.
In addition to unstructured play for movement, and we talk about the benefits of unstructured play in episode 53 of our podcast, something as simple as changing up our routine can give the brain an excellent chance to exercise.
Here are some suggestions for inexpensive, often free and fun activities to incorporate more movement into your day and more miracle grow for your brain:
Try eating with your non-dominant hand.
Or brushing your teach with your other hand.
Drive home from work a different way.
Play a board game with friends.
Learn to speak a new language.
Clear the furniture out of the living room and turn up the music and have a family dance party.
Begin playing the harmonica. You can buy one for $5 on lone and free YouTube videos will teach you how to play.
Play a game of hide and seek with your kids or build a tent in the living room and then crawl in and read with them.
All of these are inexpensive, fun, and important ways to keep our bodies and our minds moving and growing.