Improving Memory and Health With Exercise

Improving Memory and Health With Exercise

They often have a word or a name of a person solely on the language, but you can not remember?

What is happening more and more is always older than the “baby boom”. This group usually consists of those born between the years 1946 and 1964. These are essentially short years after the Second World War.

Part of the problem of memory is the result of a part of the brain shrink the hippocampus. This is a normal part of aging, the current activity, but a new study shows that moderate exercise can increase the size of the hippocampus.

The hippocampus is responsible for a number of functions such as emotion, behavior, olfaction (smell) and long-term memory.

But the study shows that moderate aerobic activity can improve memory performance. The study was funded in part by the National Institutes of Health and published in January 31, 2011: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

In research at the University of Pittsburgh performed 120 sedentary older adults without dementia were randomized into two groups. The first group of daily stretching and strength training, while the second group was a walk of 40 minutes around a track three times a week.

What the researchers found that after one year was that the aerobic group – those who went – on average 2 percent increase in hippocampal volume showed.

The other group, however, again a decline in hippocampal volume of about 1.4 percent.

Both groups showed an increase in spatial memory during the test, but there was a significant correlation between the increase in the hippocampus and the activity of the improved memory among the marchers.

Another indicator that exercise can improve memory, is that the researcher is an increase of a small molecule that is important for memory and learning, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is found. This correlates with an increase in the size of the hippocampus.

The result suggests that moderate aerobic activity adults only a year older who are active, may stop or reverse age-related atrophy of the hippocampus.

Another study on exercise and improve memory and cognition reflect the results of the University of Pittsburgh.

H. van de Prague scientists reported in the 2009 edition of Trends in Neuroscience, the exercise of the strongest stimulus for the creation of new neurons (neurogenesis) in the brain and improve cognition.

 In addition, much of neurogenesis occurs in the hippocampus of the brain.

He continued by saying that its studies show that the effect of the exercise is maintained throughout life if regular exercise is performed.

Finally, researchers CH Hillman and his colleagues in a study of fiscal 2008 and its effects on the brain in agreement that the establishment of hippocampal cells most consistently observed effect of movement and can occur at any age.

Stop trying so answers can be seen on the tongue and go for a brisk walk. The answer will come to you.

References

Hillman CH, Erickson, KI, and Kramer, AF (2008). Be smart, exercise your heart: exercise effects on brain and cognition. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 9 (1), 58-65.

Van Prag, H. (2009). Exercise and the Brain: chewing something. Trends in Neuroscience, 32 (5), 283-290.