Exercise Benefits We Never Expected!	November 12, 2007
We have long known the obvious benefits of exercise in developing strength and improving body composition and aerobic capacity. As if that is not enough, Newsweek magazine now tells us that exercise appears to help stave off the beginnings of Alzheimer’s disease and other cognitive disorders. And there is even more great news. These benefits can occur no matter what your age. A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences determined that after three months of working out all of the subjects in the study appeared to sprout new neurons and those who gained the most in cardiovascular fitness also grew the most nerve cells. We owe this to the ability of exercise to increase several chemicals in the brain including one called brain-derived neurotrophic factor or BDNF. An upcoming book by John Ratey “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of the Brain:” calls this molecule “Miracle-Gro for the brain.” The scientists who conducted the studies presented in Newsweek believe the new neurons created by exercise show up in the hippocampus, an area of the brain that controls learning and memory. The hippocampus is especially responsive to BDNF’s effects and exercise seems to restore it to a healthier, younger state. “It’s not just a matter of slowing down the aging process,” says psychologist Arthur Kramer at the University of Illinois, “It’s a matter of reversing it.” If you needed another reason to exercise properly, we could not have made one up that is any better than this. So write or call us now at Pat@personaltrainercharlottesville.com or (434) 293-3664.