A healthy body is a happy body! Here are the benefits of exercising that you might not yet know about!

As a middle-aged man, it’s important for me to stay physically active and healthy because as the saying goes,  “Health is wealth.”  When my body is at its best, I am able to do my job excellently and effectively.

Did you know that exercising positively impacts not only your physical health but also your emotional health and mental health?

Keep reading to know the benefits of exercise that you might not yet know about. I hope this encourages you to commit to a regular workout routine. Have a great day, everyone!

CEO, MBO Partners
Chairman of the Advisory Board, The I Institute

A healthy body is a happy body! Here are the benefits of exercising that you might not yet know about!

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

Are you ready to get moving?

Regular exercise has a lot of tangible health benefits for the brain. In fact, Dr. Tara Swart, a neuroscientist, medical doctor, and leadership coach, said exercise helps reduce the risk of developing dementia by 30%.

Aside from that, exercise also makes your brain more agile and improves neuroplasticity―the ability of your brain to change itself well into adulthood.

Here’s a fact:

Those who exercise have better higher-brain functions like emotional regulation and flexible thinking and are better able to quickly switch between tasks.

In a study published in the Neuroscience Letters journal, researchers from the University of Texas looked at the impact of high-intensity exercise on a protein called BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), which causes cells to grow.

According to the study, those who participated in high-intensity exercise experienced higher BDNF levels and improvements in cognitive function.

But here’s the thing. When you do a type of exercise that you enjoy, you release more BDNF than you do when you feel like exercising is a chore.

In other words, intention appears to be important in brain activity. Wanting to do something and having an optimistic attitude makes exercising more beneficial.

Allow me to share with you some types of exercise that benefits specific brain areas and functions:

1. Walking and aerobic exercise improves memory, learning, and emotions.

   Walking and doing some aerobic exercises have shown to create positive changes in the hippocampus, or the part of your brain that relates to memory, learning, and emotional control.

   This is because an increase in neuroplasticity and oxygen supply during exercise leads to growth in volume of the hippocampal part of your brain. It also avoids natural atrophy or wasting away of cells over time.

   So, if you would like to further improve your memory, learning, and emotions, try walking and some aerobic exercises regularly!

   You’ll see, even brisk walking will do wonders in maintaining and future-proofing your brain!

2. Hand-eye coordination activities enhance social and emotional well-being.

   Getting involved in table tennis or any other sport that requires coordinating multiple factors such as your social skills and hand-eye movement has shown to increase thickness in the parts of your cortex that relates to social-emotional welfare.

   Additionally, exercises that include variety and coordination such as zumba or any other type of dance have positive brain benefits.

3. Boxing melts away stress.

   Punch all your stress, anxieties, and worries away!

   Boxing is a beneficial sport as it involves cardio and muscle toning. Not only does this sport help you let go of the negative emotions you feel, but also improves the tone and shape of your body.

   Aside from that, boxing also has a lot of other benefits, which include:

   • Improved balance and posture
   • Stronger upper body and core
   • Increased alertness
   • Boosted endurance
   • Improved mood

   You may feel like you’re too weak to do boxing or that this sport is not for you but I assure you, it’s worth a try. You’ll notice and feel a difference in your body after trying boxing.

4. Extra Tip: Air quality matters during exercise.

   For many of us living in polluted cities, air quality is usually the elephant in the room when it comes to well-being.

   In fact, I myself agree that air quality is something we cannot control so we often disregard its impact on our health.

   However, if you’re really serious about taking your physical health and active lifestyle to the next level, you have to know that exercising in polluted areas decreases the secretion of BDNF.

   According to an air quality study conducted in the UK, the levels of nitrogen oxide inhaled by pedestrians and motorists are equivalent to smoking four cigarettes per minute.

   Imagine the effect it will have on your lungs and body in general!

   So, if you want to get the most out of every exercise session, make sure you exercise in a clean environment.

   If you’re living in quite a polluted area, it’s ideal to wake up early (when there aren’t a lot of cars yet on the road) and exercise early so you avoid inhaling all those harmful gasses and chemicals that prohibit the growth or connection of cells in your body.

   You may also opt to exercise in a clean and enclosed room so that there’s less harmful chemicals while you exercise.

Indeed, exercise has a lot of long-term benefits that can help you do better at work, in your relationships, and in other social interactions with people.

All you need is to have the willpower to start exercising and maintain it on a regular basis!

However, if you’re the type of person who struggles maintaining good habits around regular exercise, don’t worry! Here’s good news for you:

A lot of inactive people experience higher levels of neurogenesis (growth of new brain cells) when they start doing some aerobic exercises compared to those who exercise regularly.

So, if you want to give exercising a shot and experience improved cognitive functions, start NOW!

Start today and start feeling smarter, stronger, and healthier!

Hope you’ve found this week’s insights interesting.

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Stay tuned for next Friday’s Mindfulness by Miles!

Learn more about  Miles Everson’s key predictions for the future of work in 2022 and beyond  on next week’s  Mindfulness by Miles !