The brain is arguably the most important organ in our body. It is responsible for every action we take, every thing that we feel and so much more. It stands to good reason that with such a large impact on our lives we would want to take care of our brains so that we don't accidentally sabotage ourselves and live healthy happy lives.

Directly

Exercise helps memory and thinking through two ways; both direct and indirect.

Directly, exercise benefits us by reducing insulin resistance, reducing inflammation, and stimulating the release of growth factors (affect the health of brain cells, the growth of new blood vessels in the brain, and even the quantity and survival of new brain cells). It does this by increasing our heart which pumps more oxygen to the brain. Exercise also stimulates the brain plasticity by stimulating growth of new connections between cells.

Indirectly

Indirectly, exercise improves mood and sleep.These things reduces stress and anxiety. When you experience stress and anxiety these frequently result in negative cognitive function.

Here are some of the benefits many people experience.

Decreases in:

• Anger
• Anxiety (worry and fear)
• Confusion
• Depression (you’ll likely be better at preventing, reducing, and managing depression)
• Headaches
• Stress and tension (you’ll likely be able to cope better with stress)

Increases in:

• Assertiveness (being able to ask for what you need and make decisions)
• Confidence and feeling able to do things
• Emotional stability (less troubled by life’s challenges and disappointments)
• Independence
• Memory
• Having a positive mood
• Perception (better at noticing what’s going on around you)
• Positive body image (feeling good about the way you look)
• Feeling of well-being
• Self-worth and self-esteem (feeling good about the way you see yourself)