Exercising benefits not only your body but your brain as well. Indeed, studies have shown how exercise increases the flow of blood to the brain, creating new neurons, increasing the size of the hippocampus (the part of the brain associated with learning and memory), and increasing alacrity and sharpness. However, a new study has shown that skipping even just some your workouts can make you lose the benefits you gained.
The study, done by Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, involved people who exercised regularly but stopped exercising for just ten days. The study showed that the flow of blood to the brain, including the hippocampus, was significantly decreased as a result.
According to Dr. J. Carson Smith, who is associate professor of kinesiology at University of Maryland School of Public Health and who was the lead author of the study, the hippocampus "plays an important role in learning and memory and is one of the first brain regions to shrink in people with Alzheimer's disease.”
The people involved in the study were no newbies to exercise -- they were all master athletes between the ages of 50 and 80 (the average age was 61) who had at least 15 years experience in endurance exercise, according to Medical Daily.
The study further highlights the relationship between exercise and your brain, and the takeaway is clear: Exercise is extremely important for your brain's health, and it is equally important to keep on exercising, because a break in your workouts can mean a loss of the benefits you received.
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