Exercise for Brain Power

By Danielle Kealy, M.S., CCC-SLP

Updated March 26th, 2023

Introduction / How

What / Who / Conclusion

Introduction

“I need to clear my head. I’m going for a run.” Can’t relate? Alright, not all of us are runners, but you too may have acted on the brain’s need for exercise once upon a time. It’s a natural response for some, but if you don’t trust an intuition to move, let me share the research. The evidence about the benefits of exercise on mental processes is compelling. A little movement can boost your cognitive skills: memory, information processing, and executive functions such as planning, problem-solving, attention, flexible thinking, and inhibition control.

How

In 2022, the Cleveland Clinic posted on this very topic and shared the potential mechanisms linking exercise to cognition. Firstly, exercise enhances cardiovascular health, which leads to increased blood flow to the brain, resulting in better oxygenation and improved brain cell functioning. Additionally, exercise can reduce inflammation and lower stress hormone levels. Physiological changes to the brain resulting from exercise include increased thickness of the cerebral cortex (the outer layer of the largest part of the brain) and improved integrity of white matter (nerve fibers which connect the brain’s neuronal cell bodies). Finally, exercise promotes neuroplasticity, the process by which the brain forms new neural connections (1).

It’s like the brain re-wiring. In other words, exercise can support learning! This means after a brain injury such as a stroke, incorporating exercise could speed the re-learning of skills like speech, language, and movements. Exercise can also support learning of new skills for those who haven’t suffered a brain injury. Want to pick up a second language? Trying gardening for the first time? Exercise can boost whatever you enjoy learning about.

What

So, what kind of exercise are we talking? Aerobic-type exercise may have the most beneficial effects on cognition (1). This could be dancing, running, biking, swimming, or hiking. A few specific studies I found interesting also reported on the benefits of yoga, which resulted in immediate improvements in inhibition and memory in healthy adults (2, 3). Ultimately, find an exercise that gets your heart rate up and hopefully also lifts the corners of your mouth a little. Consult with your physician or physical therapist for specific exercises that are best for you and your medical needs. If you’re looking to bring more exercise into your workday, my friend Jeremy has you covered. Check out his article: 5 Creative Ways to Be More Active At Work.

Who

Research has demonstrated the benefits of exercise to both neurotypical individuals and those recovering from brain injuries. In healthy adults, exercise has been linked to improved executive functions, memory, attention, and neural plasticity (4-6).

“These data suggest that even shorter term aerobic exercise can facilitate neuroplasticity to reduce both the biological and cognitive consequences of aging to benefit brain health in sedentary adults.” (Chapman et al., 2013)

Exercise may also improve memory and executive functions for individuals with mild cognitive impairment (7). In the post-stroke population, aerobic exercise has demonstrated improvements in information processing (8). Information processing involves how efficiently our brain can receive, store, and use inputs from our environment. It is a factor in executing daily skills from organizing language and communicating clearly to performing movement patterns like brushing your teeth. Ultimately, whether you’re recovering from a stroke, supporting a loved one with dementia, or simply looking to enhance your productivity at work, movement might fuel your brain.

Conclusion

Our brain is an incredible machine, and the positive impacts of physical activity on brain function have been well-established. Yet, most of us live sedentary lives, staring at screens for hours on end. I struggle with previously ingrained thought patterns that leaving unfinished computer work is wasted time and laziness. I continue to remind myself that if I take ten minutes for a walk outside or a few moments of mindful stretching next to my desk, I’ll ultimately save time with more efficient and higher quality work when I return. My clients and their families also remind me of the importance of exercise for brain health. A recent client of mine has primary progressive aphasia, a neurodegenerative disease which primarily impacts language functions. He and his wife make daily exercise a priority, as they are aware of the research demonstrating that it can slow the cognitive declines associated with aging.

The capacities of our brains and our bodies are incredible gifts that can work in tandem. I believe that with some self-awareness and conscious effort, we can balance this interplay. When your brain feels overworked, support it with a little movement!

References

1. Cleveland Clinic. How Exercise Protects Your Brain’s Health. (2022, September 27). https://health.clevelandclinic.org/exercise-and-brain-health/#:~:text=Physical%20activity%20may%20benefit%20your%20brain%20in%20a,Reducing%20inflammation.%204%20Lowering%20levels%20of%20stress%20hormones.

2. Gothe, N., Pontifex, M.B., Hillman C., & McAuley E. (2013). The acute affects of yoga on executive function. Journal of Physical Activity and Health, 10(4), 488-495. https://doi.org/ 10.1123/jpah.10.4.488

3. Subramanya, P., & Telles, S. (2009). Effect of two yoga-based relaxation techniques on memory scores and state anxiety. BioPsychoSocial Medicine, 3, 8. https://doi.org/10.1186/1751-0759-3-8.

4. Colcombe, S., & Kramer, A.F. (2003). Fitness effects on the cognitive function of older adults: a meta-analytic study. Psychological Science, 14(2), 125-130. https://doi.org/ 10.1111/1467-9280.t01-1-01430

5. Colcombe, S. J., Kramer, A. F., Erickson, K. I., Scalf, P., McAuley, E., Cohen, N. J., Webb, A., Jerome, G. J., Marquez, D. X., & Elavsky, S. (2004). Cardiovascular fitness, cortical plasticity, and aging. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 101(9), 3316–3321. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0400266101

6. Chapman, S. B., Aslan, S., Spence, J. S., Defina, L. F., Keebler, M. W., Didehbani, N., & Lu, H. (2013). Shorter term aerobic exercise improves brain, cognition, and cardiovascular fitness in aging. Frontiers in aging neuroscience, 5, 75. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnagi.2013.00075

7. Amoyal, N.R., & Fallon, E. (2012). Physical Exercise and Cognitive Training Clinical Interventions Used in Slowing Degeneration Associated With Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Review of the Recent Literature. Topics in Geriatric Rehabilitation, 28, 208–216.

8. Quaney, B. M., Boyd, L. A., McDowd, J. M., Zahner, L. H., He, J., Mayo, M. S., & Macko, R. F. (2009). Aerobic exercise improves cognition and motor function poststroke. Neurorehabilitation and neural repair, 23(9), 879–885. https://doi.org/10.1177/1545968309338193

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