Exercise Improves More Thank Your Physical Health

NYU Neuroscientist Wendy Suzuki, author of “Healthy Brain, Healthy Life” says exercise actually makes you smarter. Here’s how.

It increases serotonin, dopamine and adrenaline — the neurotransmitters associated with good mood. Growth factors – the proteins that help you learn and remember – also increase. And, it stimulates the birth of new brain cells in the hippocampus – which is critical for long-term memory.

There are so many well-documented benefits to exercise: weight loss, muscle toning, improved bone density, flexibility, endurance, cardiac and respiratory health, and more. If you already have an exercise regimen in place, keep up the excellent work. However, if none of these benefits have been enough of an incentive, the long-term, positive impacts on your brain’s health and your IQ might just convince you to get moving.

You don’t have to run a marathon. Walk, ride your bike or toss a ball with the kids. The briefest bout of exercise is better than none at all.