Sports
are well-known to be good for our physical health. Many studies have
confirmed the effectiveness of regular physical activity in the primary
and secondary prevention of several diseases like cardiovascular
disease, diabetes, cancer, hypertension, obesity, osteoporosis and
premature death. Exercising appears to have a direct relationship with
many aspects of our health status, i.e., exercising more leads to
further improvement in physical well-being [1]. The next question is:
what is the effect of sports on our mind?
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Physical
activity helps our brain in many ways. It decreases anxiety and
depression, protects from loss of cognitive function in people with a
risk of Alzheimer's and conserves cognitive brain functions across one's
lifespan. Likewise, it helps healthy people by improving sleep,
reducing the risk of Alzheimer's and other neurodegenerative diseases
[2,3,4,5].
Excercise Improves Mood Instantly
Our
mood also benefits from physical activity. Regular exercise was
verified to improve mental well-being in the general population. It
increases our quality of life by enhancing self-esteem, improving mood
and reducing stress [2]. Not only do sports help us in the long run, but
they were shown to improve our mood almost instantaneously. Most
likely, if you do 20 sit-ups right now, you will feel happier immediately (once you catch your breath) [6].
So the next time you go for a run, know that you are not only taking care of your body but also of your brain!
[2] Fox, Public Health Nutr, 1999
[3] Lautenschlager et al., JAMA, 2008
[4] Scarmeas et al., JAMA, 2009
[5] Kramer and Erickson, Trends Cogn Sci, 2007
[6] Yeung, J Psychosom Res, 1996
By Michelle Livne, PhD Student AG Sobesky
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