Why do we exercise? We all have the same answer: to get to our best physique possible! But, what if exercise keeps the mind healthy? The answer is yes, exercising on a regular basis can keep our minds healthy and strong. The point is, taking up exercising at any point in our lives is a step towards keeping our minds healthy.
How Does Exercise Keep The Mind Healthy?
There are a number of theories that revolve around this question. However, one of the most sought after theories is the level of blood supply the brain receives. When we workout or indulge in any physical activity, the brain is the recipient of greater support of oxygen, nutrients, and blood. As a result, there is an increased development in growth hormones which helps in the creation of a healthy mind.
How Much Exercise Is Needed For A Healthy Mind?
There can be any number of minutes between 10 minutes to 120 minutes to keep ourselves healthy. You can go for an early morning jog or a round of cycling around town. In fact, research says that carrying a moderate-heavy bag of shopping can have the same effect as 10 to 15 minutes of proper exercise. However, at the end of the day, moderate exercise refers to being able to keep up a conversation while working out. In other words, don’t become an ego-lifter and carry the heaviest of shopping bags and end up with injuries.
Which Exercise Keeps The Mind Healthy?
Before we talk about the types of exercises that help our mind, let’s talk about the type of brain functions. Typically the brain has two functions: cognitive abilities and executive abilities. The former helps with functions such as thinking, writing, reasoning, etc. The latter helps with functions such as organization or the ability for us to make plans. Coming to the exercises, aerobic exercises help in improving our cognitive abilities while weight training helps in improving executive abilities.
So, What’s The Final Word?
If you are going to want to keep your mind healthy, then taking care of your body is the first step. Furthermore, taking care of your body will help you with diabetes and sugar levels and a healthy heart. You do not need to rush into heavy lifting, start off with a small walk and some fresh fruits. Slowly but steadily move into this regime. Exercise keeps the mind healthy but only when you do it on a consistent basis.
List Of Aerobic Exercises:
- Jump Rope
- Swimming
- Stationary Bike
- Walking/Running
- Zumba
- Kickboxing
- Bodyweight Strength Circuit
List Of Heavy Weight Exercises:
- Squat
- Bench Press
- Shoulder Press
- Lat Pulldown
- Full Body Barbell Workouts
- Compound Movements
Let’s start taking care of our bodies and mind together!