Regular physical exercise is probably the best documented way to shield your brain against aging, by protecting the cardiovascular system that feeds blood to the brain. Merely walking three times a week or thirty minutes a day is beneficial.
High levels of mental stimulation links with better cognitive function and less age-related loss of mental agility. Memory training and other mental exercises can preserve or improve specific cognitive abilities in older people. One possible reason is exercise can stimulate the growth of new connections in the brain. Cultivate a variety of mental pursuits which can help preserve the fullest array of cognitive skills. Memorize poems, do crossword puzzles, play a musical instrument.
“Proper periods of sleep and rest and an abundance of physical exercise are essential to health of body and mind. “-7T 24.
“Mental effort without corresponding physical exercise calls an undue proportion of blood to the brain, and thus the circulation is unbalanced. The brain has too much blood, while the extremities have too little. The hours of study and recreation should be carefully regulated, and a portion of the time should be spent in physical labor….
“The health cannot be preserved unless some portion of each day is given to muscular exertion in the open air. Stated hours should be devoted to manual labor of some kind, anything which will call into action all parts of the body. Equalize the taxation of the mental and the physical power, and the mind … will be refreshed.
“The minds of thinking men labor too hard. They frequently use their mental powers prodigally, while there is another class whose highest aim in life is physical labor. The latter class do not exercise the mind. Their muscles are exercised, but their brains are robbed of intellectual strength; just as the minds of thinking men are worked, but their bodies are robbed of strength and vigor by their neglect to exercise the muscles…. Health should be a sufficient inducement to lead them to unite physical with mental labor.
“Moral, intellectual, and physical culture should be combined in order to have well-developed, well-balanced men and women. Some are qualified to exercise great intellectual strength, while others are inclined to love and enjoy physical labor. Both of these classes should seek to improve where they are deficient, that they may present to God their entire being, a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to Him, which is their reasonable service.
“The health should be as carefully guarded as the character.” My Life Today p. 144.
”When physical exercise is taken, the circulation is quickened. The heart receives blood faster and sends it to the lungs faster. The lungs work more vigorously, furnishing a greater amount of blood, which is sent with stronger power through the entire being. Exercise gives new life and strength to every part of the body.” … If physical exercise is regarded as drudgery, if the mind takes no interest in the exercise of the different parts of the body [the benefits will not be realized]. The mind must be interested in exercise of the muscles.
“The time spent in physical exercise is not lost. “[The Lord] bids us reason from cause to effect, to remember that we are His property, and to unite with Him in keeping the body pure and healthy, and the whole being sanctified to Him.” Reflecting Christ p. 147:1,3, 5, 8, 10.
“God has given you a habitation to care for and preserve in the best condition for His service and glory. Your bodies are not your own.”- Reflecting Christ p. 150:6.
Ten Ways Exercise Helps Your Brain
The following are the 10 most incredible brain-body benefits:
*Grow New Brain Cells: When you exercise, your brain sprouts new cells. Conversely, aging occurs when your brain doesn’t create as many new cells as it loses.
*Ward Off Memory Loss: Studies have shown that exercise helps prevent, delay, and lessen the effects of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
*Boost Your Mood: People who exercise report a general sense of well-being that people who lead sedentary lifestyles do not experience.
*Ease Depression: I encourage patients on antidepressants to start exercising, and the results are truly amazing. Many were able to wean off of the medication.
*Fight OCD: Exercise reduces the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Going for a walk when obsessive thoughts strike could help ease those feelings.
*Worry Less: When negative thoughts take over, exercise can provide a welcome distraction.
*Get Smarter: No matter how old you are, exercise increases your memory, your ability to think clearly, and your ability to plan.
*Increase Your Child’s Attention Span: The best natural treatment for attention-deficit disorder is exercise. Plus, it has no side effects and a wealth of benefits.
*Wipe Out Teen Angst: Physical fitness sparks better behavior in adolescents. If they’re fit, they’re less impulsive and feel happier. *Look Younger, Live Longer: Exercise allows the blood to flow more freely throughout the body, boosting the health of vital organs and reducing the risk for life-threatening disease.”- Dr. Daniel Amen, News Max.
