Why Exercise Is Crucial for Brain Health

BY PAUL A. MEDINA, FOUNDER OF CAPITAL ENERGY TRAINING

AT ITS CORE, neuroplasticity is the brain's amazing ability to form new neural connections in response to experiences, learning, or injury. This ongoing rewiring allows the brain to adapt, acquire new skills, form habits, and recover from damage.

Everyday activities such as learning a new language, practicing mindfulness meditation, and engaging in social interactions help strengthen these neural pathways. As a kinesiologist and personal trainer interested in health, I want to focus on how movement and exercise plays an important role in keeping not only your body, but also your brain healthy. Because of the brain's neuroplasticity, exercise promotes new brain cell growth, boosting memory, mood, and intelligent thinking skills.

Regular physical activity, especially aerobic exercise, improves overall cognitive function, and helps protect against age-related decline.

Neuroplasticity is generally understood through two primary types: structural and functional. Structural neuroplasticity focuses on strengthening the core and spine, while functional neuroplasticity involves movement in multiple directions beyond the spine and core. The severity of injuries plays a role in determining how effectively the body can adapt, and identifying the right practitioner is essential for successful recovery and reorganization.

A supple body facilitates recovery, digestion, relaxation, and efficient reorganization, a process known as motor learning. If our neuro pathway is rooted in negative programming, such as repetitively sitting in one position each day, we must reactivate muscles that have atrophied or formed positions that lead to pain. We must identify what the body needs to unlearn and rebuild weak links, a process that occurs internally as we develop strength and new habits.

Functional neuroplasticity consists of four key components. The first is homologous area adaptation, which involves movement across the body's midline, such as allowing one leg to cross toward the opposite arm or elbow. The second is map expansion, referring to the body's ability to gradually increase its range of motion or tolerate greater resistance. The third component, cross-modal reassignment, places the body in an exercise it recognizes but has not practiced extensively in the past. The fourth, compensatory masquerade, involves relearning an exercise after the ability to perform it has been lost due to impairment or injury.

To simplify how this works neurologically, a neuron can be compared to a relay race. Signals are passed from one neuron to another through synapses, much like links in a chain.

When we learn a new exercise and organize the spine correctly, we enable these neurons to pass the baton and establish a new neuroplastic response. As this response develops, the body forms healthier cognitive, emotional, behavioral, intelligent memory, and visual processing patterns.

Exercise activates both voluntarily and involuntarily responses. Through movement, we teach the body how to regulate itself under stress and manage the stress that arises from involuntary responses. The human body is designed for survival and is highly efficient in that role. Bodily responses help us recognize pain or sense when pain is imminent this is known as the involuntary response. An example of an involuntary response during exercise is shaking, which can occur due to a buildup of lactic acid and a reduction in oxygen storage and carbohydrates. This does not indicate that something is wrong. Rather, it is a signal to pay attention and possibly change direction, often with guidance, to move on to a different exercise or break, to support recovery.

In my training sessions, I incorporate both active and passive recovery techniques. This approach enhances recovery, intelligent memory, and visual processing, which translates into improved balance, swallowing, breathing, and heart rate and how to regulate under stress. It supports the unlearning of old habits and the formation of new, healthier ones.

It is crucial to recognize that our bodies and brains are designed for survival and are highly efficient in this regard. These recovery principles extend far beyond physical training and are equally relevant to business, entrepreneurship, and goal-oriented programs, where rebuilding weak links is just as critical.

In summary, physical activity is one of the most effective forms of therapy that keeps your body, as well as your brain healthy. Research consistently shows that it outperforms other forms of therapy. Feel free to come into the studio with any questions.

Paul A. Medina, a former collegiate baseball athlete, founded Capital Energy Training in 2014. Its success lies in providing scientifically backed personal training through thoughtful, customized exercise. He has a Bachelor's degree in Kinesiology, and numerous other certifications.

The amazing neuroplasticity of our brains enables our bodies to heal, create, and recover.

Movement and exercise promotes new brain cell growth, boosting memory, mood, and intelligent thinking.