• Question: how does exercise effect your brain

    Asked by 358evoa29 to Anthea, Chloe, Kevin, Michel, Sean on 10 Nov 2014.
    • Photo: Kevin Healy

      Kevin Healy answered on 10 Nov 2014:

      Good question. Excersise can affect your brain in many ways, for example it can increase oxygen and nutrient delivery as well as increase levels of chemicals called neurotransmitter which the neurons in your brain use to fire and comunicate messages to one another. This can even change how your brain interprets the world, for example during exercise you see time move more slowly then normal as your neurons are firing faster meaning you can proccess more information.
      Overall in the longer term exercise in know to be to help improve certain parts of the brain such as working memory (this is your ability to remember immediate things like a long number or do calulation in your head) and in keeping good mental health.

    • Photo: Michel Dugon

      Michel Dugon answered on 10 Nov 2014:

      Wow, that’s a complex one… To make it short:

      1) exercise means more oxygen in the brain. This results in more brain effectiveness
      2) more blood circulation means a brain that is better irrigated: nutrients, vitamins and minerals roll in your brain in a steady stream of awesomeness…
      3) more blood flow means a reduction in the risk of strokes… and finally the best of all:
      4) Because during exercise you tend to move fast and in many direction, your brain will gain more abilities for spatial recognition, which help for many other tasks (geometry to conceptualisation of objects and shapes).
      4) when you do exercise, you brain produces “pleasure hormones” called endorphin. Endorphins make you feel lighter, happier and eliminate (partially) the feeling of pain… just what we all need after a long day work!

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