Written by Dr. Sanjana V.B Bhms,dbrm,cdn

Founder & medical director of siahmsr wellness.in
All rights reserved with siahmsr digital healthcare[siahmsr wellness]
Reviewed by SIAHMSR medical team.

Physical activity to boost your brain health &mental health

    Physical activity plays  a pivotal role in improving mental health. It helps in reducing the impact of stress and aids in the prevetion of other diseases, triggered by stress.Studies shows that physical activity is declining in both developed and developing countries  due to sedentary lifestyles and it is significantly contributing to obesity and various types of diseases related to fat accumulation.Reduced physical activity can have detrimental impact on the mental health also, as mental health is closely linked with  physical activity.

Physical activity refers to all movements caused by skeletal muscles that cause energy consumption.The World Health Organization recommends that for good health, adults should get the equivalent of two and a half hours of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each week. 

Physical activity has great role in improving cognitive health.

Cognitive health simply means how well you think, learn, and remember.It helps in understanding, storing and retrieving information; making decisions and in producing appropriate responses. It helps to control our thoughts and behavior.

Cognition is the mental action or a brain function involving the process of acquiring knowledge and understanding through thought, experience and our senses. Cognition includes all conscious and unconscious processes by which knowledge is accumulated, such as perceiving, recognizing, conceiving, and reasoning.

Neurotransmitter deficiencies are associated with poor focus and cognition in diseases such as ADHD[ attention deficit hyper activity disorders], autism spectrum disorders, depression etc.Physical activity has significant role in  altering the mood in these  neuro developmental disorders also.

People with obesity often experience cognitive impairment and they have problems in regulating their behavior. Impulsive actions and food addictions are more common in them.

Physical activity helps to control and prevent obesity and improves cognitive powers of brain.Physical activity can help you think, learn, problem-solve, and enjoy an emotional balance. It can improve memory and reduce anxiety or depression.

Regular physical activity can also reduce your risk of cognitive decline, including memory loss associated with ageing or stress.

                         SIAHMSR                                     

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI] and dementia [Loss of memory]improves by physical activity

Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is the intermediate phase between normal aging-related changes in cognitive brain function and dementia or memory loss. Various causes contribute to cognitive impairment.

  Obesity, metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance and diabetes mellitus have been associated with an increased risk of cognitive impairment and neurodegeneration.

A healthy life style with moderate physical activity can prevent obesity, metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes to a large extent and thus help prevent cognitive decline also.

   The  studies show that reduced physical activity is an important risk factor for chronic diseases including some cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, dementia, and in particular for a patient with mental illness (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depressive disorder)[3].

   Every individual affected with Mild Cognitive Impairment do not progress to dementia or total memory loss affecting social interaction and work.

Dementia or loss of memory  is characterized by deficits in memory, cognitive function and behavior severe enough to affect social or occupational functioning.Hence it is a grave condition affecting quality of life.

Out of dementia patients, approximately 75% is of the Alzheimer’s disease (AD) type, and 15% is vascular in origin [stroke related].Oxidative stress to brain appears to play a key role in the initiation and progression of Alzheimers’ disease.

    Vascular dementia  or stroke related memory loss   

The risk factors include high blood pressure, high LDL Cholesterol, cigarette smoking, diabetes mellitus etc. Over 60% of stroke survivors may have some degree of cognitive impairment, and a few of them will develop dementia or memory impairment.This  can occur either alone or in connection with Alzheimer’s disease. Regular physical activity in moderate intensity can control all these risk factors leading to dementia and loss of memory.

                           SIAHMSR                              

Physical activity can positively influence hormonal balance 

     Physical inactivity  and sedentary life style choices is linked with many diseases related to hormones such as insulin, cortisol, growth hormone, catecholamines, testosterone etc. and metabolites (free fatty acids, lactic acid, triglycerides etc.). 

Physical exercise or training can reduce fat accumulation & plays a significant role in energy expenditure and affect hormone balance positively.Therefore , it is recommended to promote physical activity through exercise programs and games. It helps to manage various hormonal diseases and syndromes like PCOS.

      Physical activity is part of our lives spontaneously. Walking, running, dancing, rocking in a chair while you read, going to your office in a cycle etc. are physical activities. If you rise from your chair and switch on a television, placed at a slight distance away from you also is movement of your body and it is physical activity.

 Physical exercise is a sub-concept of this physical activity and is included in leisure physical activity and it is defined as a structured activity that is planned and repeated.

Nowadays  people prefers sedentary lifestyle and physical activity is declining . Incorporate a healthy lifestyle  being physically active and thus improve quality of life. Aerobic exercises, including jogging, swimming, cycling, walking, gardening, and dancing, have been proved to reduce anxiety and depression being different forms of physical exercises.

The changes in anxiety, depression and mood states after exercise are explained most frequently by the endorphin and monoamine hypotheses.Exercise may also increase body temperature, blood circulation in the brain and impact on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and physiological reactivity to stress. The possible psychological mechanisms include improvement of self-efficacy, distraction and cognitive dissonance. 

This physiologic influence is probably mediated by the communication of the HPA axis of brain with several regions of the brain, including the limbic system, which controls motivation and mood; the amygdala, which generates fear in response to stress; and the hippocampus, which plays an important part in memory formation as well as in mood and motivation. 

Mental health improved by exercise!

Exercise improves mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, and negative mood and by improving self-esteem and cognitive function.

Exercise has also been found to alleviate symptoms such as low self-esteem and social withdrawal.

Exercise is especially important in patients with schizophrenia since these patients are already vulnerable to obesity and also because of the additional risk of weight gain associated with antipsychotic treatment, especially with the atypical antipsychotics.

 Spend 30 minutes for achieving these benefits!

Thirty minutes of exercise of moderate intensity, such as brisk walking for 3 days a week, is sufficient for these health benefits.

Improved sleep

Regular physical activity can help you sleep and feel better,

Increased interest in sex

Better endurance

Stress relief

Improvement in mood

Increased energy and stamina

Reduced tiredness that can increase mental alertness

Weight reduction

Reduced cholesterol and improved cardiovascular fitness

Exercise can also alleviate secondary symptoms such as low self-esteem and social withdrawal.

 Research studies to substantiate the benefits of physical exercise

Study by University of South Australia. Published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, the review is the most comprehensive to date, encompassing 97 reviews, 1039 trials and 128,119 participants. It shows that physical activity is extremely beneficial for improving symptoms of depression, anxiety, and distress. "Higher intensity exercise had greater improvements for depression and anxiety, while longer durations had smaller effects when compared to short and mid-duration bursts [7].

Human and animal studies have shown that environmental stimuli such as physical activity habits seem to have a favorable influence on brain development. Research on humans has demonstrated improvement in cognitive performance in the children of women who exercised regularly throughout pregnancy and in individuals who were physically active during childhood and adolescence.[10]

Unlike children a few decades ago, children today are leading increasingly sedentary lifestyles that involve time spent on computers and watching TV. This lifestyle leads them to neglect the physical activity that has been typical to this developmental period.

Limited physical activity, or often a complete lack thereof, leads to various health problems, including posture problems (such as idiopathic scoliosis), somatic conditions, being overweight and obese, problems with circulation

The World Health Organization and Fonds Gesundes Osterreich [15] further specify guidelines indicating that children should devote at least 60 min a day to physical activity (such as going to school on foot, walking up-stairs, and cycling). Moreover, children should strengthen their muscles and bones with strength training at least two to three times a week.

Sport provides equilibrium between group demands and individual demands, between aggressive behaviors and self-control. It fosters a sense of belonging to a group, and teaches coping with both victory and defeat.

Regular physical activity also leads to better circulation and oxygen supply to the brain, an increase in bone and muscle density, and greater tolerance of stress[11].

The ability to focus attention is improved among children who participate in physical activities. the regularity and intensity of physical activity in children aged 13–14 years positively affects their ability to focus attention on a given task.

Children who devoted more time to sports were found to have significantly better grades.

studies highlight the positive impact of physical activity on the development of a broader lexical network and the comprehension of the meaning of words, as well as a greater ability to detect syntactic errors[12]

 written by dr sanjana vb bhms, dbrm, cdn [ copyright 2022]

References

1.    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17030753/  

2.    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18031707/

3.    https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.943435/full

4.    https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/mental-health-and-physical-activity

5.    https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15518309/

6.    Richardson CR, Faulkner G, and McDevitt J. et al. Integrating physical activity into mental health services for persons with serious mental illness. Psychiatr Serv. 2005 56:324–331. [PubMed]

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15746508/

7.    https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/02/230223193417.htm

8.    https://www.britannica.com/topic/cognition-thought-process

9.    https://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpao/features/physical-activity-brain-health/index.html#:~:text=Did%20you%20know%20it's%20good,of%20cognitive%20decline%2C%20including%20dementia.

10.           https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26289488/

11.           https://scholar.google.com/scholar_lookup?title=Psychologia+sportu+i+Aktywno%C5%9Bci+Fizycznej+[Psychology+of+Sports+and+Physical+Activity]&author=A.+%C5%81uszczy%C5%84ska&publication_year=2011&

12.           https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26912206/