How exercise benefits the brain
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 2014 10:28 AM

You already know that exercise keeps your body healthy, reducing the risk of heart disease and diabetes, but being fit also benefits your brain. Whether you're a kid, adult or senior, devoting a bit of time to staying in shape can improve your IQ and generally alter brain functions for the better. Here's a look at why that's the case:

The oxygen eater
Your brain thrives on oxygen. Without it, the organ can't survive, which is why drowning can cause death. In fact, according to the Head Squeeze, a BBC production, the brain only accounts for 2 percent of your bodyweight. However, it consumes 1/5 of the oxygen you inhale - that's a hefty amount for such a small portion of your physiology. The more oxygen you take in, the more oxygen your brain has access to.

Upping the oxygen
When you exercise, your body has to consume more oxygen. Your heart is pumping fast, causing you to breathe quickly. The oxygen does a lot for you when you work out, as it provides your muscles with the fuel they need to keep going. Your legs get some oxygen as you run, and your arms get? oxygen as you pump iron. As you now know, even your brain gets oxygen, and a lot at that. The 1/5 your brain takes is a lot when you're breathing in an increased amount of air. Your brain has a field day with all that extra fuel, creating more neurons in a process called neurogenesis.

Your brain uses neurons to do pretty much everything, but you don't need all the ones your brain makes during neurogenesis. Fortunately, you can store them in a reserve of sorts. When your brain is damaged, it calls on the excess neurons. Exercise can even repair damage that's already been done to your brain - the organ is truly amazing. 

Exercise at work
A study published in the British Medical Journal revealed that regular aerobic training increased the volume of the hippocampus (a part of the brain) in women who were at risk for mild cognitive impairment. MCI is associated with dementia and the hippocampus. By exercising, the women were able to improve the structure and size of their brains, helping to prevent MCI. 

Though children don't have to worry about MCI just yet, exercise also helps them. A study published in the Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport noted that the less sedentary children are, the greater their levels of concentration and ability to plan.