How Exercise Helps With Your Overall Brain Health & Studying

By: Robyn Welsh

It is no secret that exercise is good for you. Not only does it help with maintaining a healthy body, it is extremely important for your brain health.

 Exercise stimulates the release of brain-building hormones, including hormones that help with memory and help lessen brain decline related to aging.

 When heart rate is increased, more blood flows through your body and to your head, which means more oxygen to the brain. Aerobic exercise such as medium or long distance running, swimming, and biking, are very effective in moving oxygen throughout the body. On days where you may not have time for a long exercise session, try to walk more places and run around at recess.

 Cardio is extremely important for brain health, but so are lower impact activities. For example, practicing yoga is an amazing way to increase brain function. According to a study conducted at the University of Illinois, practicing yoga for 20 minutes can increase participant’s focus, their ability to process information quickly, more accurately and also retain and learn information more effectively.

 As well, if you’re yawning, it could be because you’re tired or you don’t have enough oxygen flowing through your blood and to your brain. When you can’t seem to stop yawning, try exercising if you can. The act of physical exercise will help wake you up, and the flow of oxygen to your brain will help stifle the yawns.

 Exercising before homework or studying can help make you more efficient and will help fight stress. Try to make a habit of exercising in the morning before school or after school before you start studying and working on homework. Your body, brain, and grades will all thank you.

 Just keep in mind that exercise is not the only thing that will help you get good grades! Make sure to get enough sleep so that the information you learn will stick with you. As well, try to start reviewing a little bit every night and writing out important information by hand. By doing a little bit every night, the information will be refreshed in your brain more frequently which will help you remember it. Writing things out by hand will also help solidify things in your brain.

 Happy exercising and studies!