So Much More Than Weight Loss: Exercise Changes Your Brain, Immediately

You know that frustrating pattern where you stop exercising for a while because life is busy? And after enough time passes you can feel a shift in your mood? That’s because your brain (not just your body) thrives on movement. And once you get started, exercise changes your brain for the better. Immediately!

It happens for me like clockwork. If I hit the 2-week mark without a heart-pumping workout, I feel my anxiety increasing disproportionately to life around me and my mood takes a plunge. Not only do I notice a shift in my psyche, but I also feel less sharp and more easily distractible. It usually takes a very brief, “Why am I struggling so much right now?” before it smacks me in the face. My brain is craving exercise!

Exercise Is So Much More Than Weight Loss

The diet and weight loss industry has done a solid job of reminding us that we should be getting regular exercise to remain fit and healthy. But those companies aren’t even getting to the meat of why exercise is SO good for us!

As humans, we have complex brains for the purpose of performing complex motor and cognitive tasks. The brain and exercise create a self-feeding cycle. The more you exercise, the better your brain performs, which in turn causes you to move better….

Getting your heart pumping and your body moving creates a massive cascade of events while you’re working out. It impacts your mood, your thinking skills, and even the size of your brain.

Get The Happy Juices Flowin'

Maybe most immediately noticeable to us is the way exercise influences the chemical balance of our brains, and subsequently our moods.

During exercise, you experience an increase in the production of many neurotransmitters, to include serotonin, dopamine, endorphins, and a protein known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). You probably know what most of these do.

Serotonin is known as the "feel-good" neurotransmitter. An increase in this good stuff leaves you feeling better than when you started the workout. Serotonin also plays a role in our sleep.
We've talked about how crucial sleep is to the brain!
Dopamine regulates our motivation, attention, and experience of pleasure. Dopamine also plays an important role in our motor functions and is a key factor in several disorders of the aging brain, including Alzheimer's Disease.
Endorphins reduce our perception of pain and create a pleasure response. They're commonly known as natural painkillers. Everyone knows these are linked to exercise, thanks to Legally Blonde. Exercise stimulates the production of endorphins, resulting in a "runner's high" and other pleasurable feelings after a workout.
BDNF is a well-studied protein in the brain that we'll talk more about in a minute. It's been found to have an antidepressant effect as it increases during exercise.

Picture this rush of happy chemicals running through your brain the next time you run through the park! Just knowing all of that is happening in my brain makes me happier from the minute I finally commit to hitting the pavement.

Fertilize Your Brain

We talked about how BDNF is found to have antidepressant effects, but that’s not all it does. An increase in BDNF in the brain has amazing implications beyond the boost in one’s mood.

Did you know your brain can make its own fertilizer? BDNF is a powerful protein that’s responsible for nurturing and strengthening our existing neurons and also for supporting new neuronal growth in the brain. Meaning, brain growth!

As we age and experience high levels of stress, we actually begin to lose neurons. You know the saying, use it or lose it? That applies to our neurons, too, unfortunately. The less we stimulate certain networks in our brains, the weaker the connections become.

Plus, when you’re chronically stressed, your body produces cortisol. Cortisol has been found to have a depleting effect on the hippocampus. This is the area of the brain that’s responsible for memory and new learning. Our magical elixir and brain enhancer, BDNF, however, is actually known to directly influence growth in the hippocampus! This, in turn, supports new learning and memory.

Boost Your Focus and Complex Thinking

It doesn’t just stop with memory and new learning. Aerobic exercise also impacts the functioning of the prefrontal cortex in the brain. This is the area of the brain responsible for some of the most complex cognitive skills we possess as humans. Studies have found that exercise acutely impacts our attentional skills and our executive functioning (a group of skills related to accomplishing high-level, goal-directed behaviors).

It’s even been reported that these acute changes to our cognitive abilities can last up to 2 hours after a bout of exercise. It may be worth taking that into consideration as you plan out your daily workouts.

The Burning Question

Finally, what you’re probably dying to hear about. The dose. How much exercise and what kind of exercise do I need to be doing to reap these benefits? Most of the research on the cognitive benefits of exercise suggests participating in 150 minutes per week of “moderate-intensity aerobic exercise.” Let’s break that down.

150 Minutes

150 minutes comes out to 30 minutes of exercise 5 days per week, or less days per week of a few longer workouts. Though this is the standard, that doesn’t mean you have to or even should go from 0 to 150 right away. And it also doesn’t mean you should stay at 0 because 150 is daunting.

You can’t continue to experience the amazing benefits to your brain if you injure yourself by pushing it too hard or too quickly. It’s best to ease in to exercise and listen to your body and mind. If you’re feeling hard-pressed to meet the standards, remind yourself that just getting started is doing amazing things for your health. You do not need to break records- you just need to get moving!

And now for the time commitment. I totally hear you. Life is so busy. Where are we supposed to unearth almost 3 hours from our busy weeks? Remember my post about productivity? Consider what a happier mood, a more focused mind, and a better memory will mean for your productivity in a day. Your brain is being rewarded with immediate boosts in mood, focus, and complex thinking skills after a heart-pumping workout! If you can find a way to get 30 minutes of exercise in before a big task, you may find yourself finishing that task way faster and more efficiently than you could have planned for otherwise.

Moderate Intensity

Moderate-intensity means working somewhere between 50-70% of your max effort. The Mayo Clinic suggests you’re performing a moderate intensity workout when “1. Your breathing quickens, but you’re not out of breath, 2. You develop a light sweat after 10 minutes of activity, and 3. You can carry on a conversation, but you can’t sing.”

That seems a lot less daunting once you consider what exercises can fall into that category, right? It also shows that this intensity-level is very personal. If you’re starting from little to no exercise at all, you’re not expected to run a 5k in order to glean all of these amazing health benefits.

Aerobic Exercise

So what does count as an aerobic exercise? Aerobic exercise consists of what most of us call “cardio.” This type of exercise gets your heart pumping and oxygen flowing through the body. This can include, walking, running, dancing, swimming, hiking, cycling, rowing, skiing and snowboarding.

Trying Something New Grows Your Brain, Too!

Some of us (me!) really struggle to find consistency with typical cardio exercises, however. There’s good news for us, too!

You don’t just have to rely on classic aerobic exercise pumping up the BDNF in your brain to help it grow. There’s another way. Your brain also creates new neurons and new connections (neuroplasticity) when you learn something new. So, think about learning a new sport or exercise. You have to learn the actual movements, the strategies, and the rules and nuances required to prepare for the exercise.

Take picking up rock climbing, for example. When I first began climbing, I had to not only learn how to move my body in a way that would keep me on the wall, but also how to preserve energy, how to read the route, and how to ensure I had all the necessary equipment with me based on the type of climbing I was doing. I’m almost 2 years in to the practice and I’m still learning about the best protective gear and strategies to be using while I climb. That’s a lot of new connections being made in my brain while also participating in something extremely fun and social!

Use It So You Don't Lose It

Picking up a new form of exercise, or frequently switching it up, gives you the greatest chance of diversely strengthening the connections in your brain. Many forms of exercise also require specific cognitive skills that you may not be flexing so often during your typical day. For example:

Dancing uses high-level memory and attention skills. How else are you going to follow along with the new choreography?
Tennis challenges your reaction speed and visuospatial skills.
Cycling outdoors requires constant divided attention to your route, obstacles around you, and your own performance.
Rock climbing taps into your problem solving, visuospatial skills, and response to the fear centers of your brain.

The list could go on and on. The next time you head to a new workout class or agree to try a new sport, take it as an opportunity to flex a potentially neglected area of your brain!

Make Your Move

I haven’t even gotten to the protective powers exercise has on our aging brains (you know I will!). But you’re getting the point. We shouldn’t just be making time for exercise because it helps us keep healthy bodies. It helps us keep our brains sharp, happy, attentive, and growing!

Knowing all of this about the powers of exercise doesn’t mean it’s that simple. I can relate to many of the classic excuses we make to get out of working out. Here are some tips and tricks I’ve picked up that help me to better harness the magical brain boosting powers of exercise:

“I don’t have enough time to work out.” We discussed this earlier. Working out will likely improve your productivity and efficiency in a day. Try changing up when you decide to work out. Carving out some time before work for a 30 minute walk or hike could mean you perform better at work and feel better throughout the day.

“I can’t get myself started.” Most of the time, the first steps are the hardest. Try setting out the items you need for your workout in a convenient place. For example, if you’re planning to go for a hike in the morning, set your hiking clothes by the door the night before. Also, try making plans that are harder to cancel. Commit to doing the workout with a friend or sign up for a class. Finally, try switching it up. Sometimes you drag your feet because you’ve lost the intrigue. Learning something new boosts motivation and feelings of accomplishment. And getting outside has amazing added benefits.

“I do great for about 2 weeks then revert to old ways.” Create a routine you can’t stray from. Set reminders, sticky notes for motivation, tell those close to you about your goals. Again, consider switching things up. Stick to the same daily routine, but change which exercise you do during that time. Set specific workout goals to keep engaged. You can even try some habit tracking apps.

“I have every intention to work out, but I don’t feel physically up for it when the time comes.” This could be a sign that you’re really needing the mood boosting effects of exercise. It could also mean you’re feeling an imbalance in your circadian rhythm or possibly being blocked by your diet. Do you tend to experience a sugar crash around the time you’re usually available for a workout? Consider changing up what you’re eating before a workout. Or use my circadian rhythm tracker to figure out when the best time of day is for your body.

“I have an injury that’s preventing me from working out.” You don’t want to continue to aggravate an injury. But, we’ve just discovered how incredibly beneficial regular exercise is for your brain. If you’ve been on the fence or are waiting to see a physical therapist or doctor about your injury, here’s your push.