Don’t Forget To Exercise Your Mind

Have you ever played Brain Age?  I’m seeing more older people playing games like this, and have wondered about it in passing.  Now I get it.  Let’s say you focus a great deal of time, effort, and energy on exercising your body.  You strive to lift more, run longer, and bike faster.  These are all excellent goals.  But do you neglect to exercise your mind as well?  If so, what’s the cost?

Why You Should Try To Exercise Your Mind

There was a recent publication in Scientific American about the science of the brain.  More specifically, about the growth of neurons.  I’ve always believed that our brains are fully matured by adulthood.  More specifically, that only children can produce new neurons.  Thus, the warning about alcohol and the death of brain cells.   Turns out that’s (partially) wrong.  It was proven in the 1990s that adult mammals do, in fact, produce new neurons on a daily basis.  Most of those reside in the hippocampus, which is the region involved learning and memory.  Alcohol retards production, while exercise (yeah!) and some foods (blueberries) promote their birth.  Some sources suggest that the Mediterranean diet may promote mental health.

The funny thing about these newly hatched neurons is that they only hang around if they’re used.  If you “exercise your mind,” then the neurons stick.  But you have to really challenge yourself.  To save these neurons, you must engage them in tasks that are hard to learn.  Researchers believe that choosing to engage your mind by learning something both totally new, and mentally demanding, will provide the greatest benefit.  Tasks like learning a new language, for instance.

What’s the benefit?  None of us can escape the effect of aging.  With that comes an increased risk of mental afflictions such as dementia, or Alzheimer’s disease.  Genetic predispositions may play a role here, no one is immune.  Researchers believe that harnessing these newly developed neurons, and promoting their development, may combat cognitive decline.  So, if you exercise your mind, you may keep it longer.  Much as exercising your body promotes maintaining mobility and independence later in life.

If that’s not enough reason, then consider the recent study linking mental fatigue and physical activity.  This is for my friends who are die-hard “cardio-nuts.”  You know who you are…  The ones who don’t believe you’ve run a good race unless you have dry heaves at the finish line.  If you need more reason to exercise your mind, researchers have also demonstrated that people who are mentally fatigued reach a plateau of “perceived effort” faster than those who are mentally rested.  So, if you’re less able to handle mentally fatiguing tasks, you will not perform to your potential come race day.

Do you make an effort to exercise your mind, or do you just let that slide?  Part of learning to live fit is trying to find balance in all aspects of life.  If so, what do you do?  For what its worth, I’ve tried Brain Age 2, and trust me.  It’s harder than you’d think.

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2. Finding Inspiration To Exercise
3. Exercise and Fitness Goals — Finding Motivation
4. Too Much Exercise Can Be Bad, Too
5. Using Body Weight For Exercise Training