Walking, BDNF, Hippocampal Size, and Brain Fitness

Maybe I have an obsession. Maybe I’m addicted to exercise. Maybe.  But here it is, once again: Yet another study has shown that aerobic exercise is good for your brain. Not only does aerobic exercise improve cognition (at least 20 or more studies have shown that), but it can help to prevent age-related declines in the size of the hippocampus. The hippocampus is a critically important structure in the brain that is a key part of a circuit that creates new memories.It tends to get smaller with increasing age, but exercise can actually increase its size. The increase in size may be related to increased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic growth factor (BDNF), a substance in the body that promotes the growth of new brain cells.

In an article published online on January 31st in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, researchers show again that regular walking can make a difference in cognition. This study is new because the researchers also looked at the volume of the hippocampus with imaging techniques and looked at BDNF levels.

Exercise and BDNF levels may also be related to the way that antidepressants work to reduce depression, and we know that for many individuals exercise improves mood. While we think of the hippocampus most often because of its role in memory, it also has important effects in regulating emotion.

You can find the abstract here. The full article is available to subscribers only.

5 Ways to Cope with Holiday Stress for Brain Fitness

It’s no secret that stress is a brain fitness killer. Multiple studies have shown that stress affects memory and attention (in bad ways). There are good reasons for these observations: stress causes increased levels of a number of chemicals in your body, many of which can reduce your brain fitness. Stress and those related brain chemicals also has an effect on how well you can focus, and that can reduce how well you can remember things or solve problems. All in all, stress is bad for brain fitness. And the holidays are a prime time for increased stress.

Having said that, here are 5 ways to cope with stress:

1. Before setting out for an activity (shopping, parties, family gatherings) stop and think. Have a game plan for coping with the things that may crop up. If you know that Uncle Bernie is going to ask you about your job, have a ready answer (or a way to change the subject).
2. Spend some time breathing. There’s nothing mystical about this one: If you focus on your breathing, you are more likely to relax.
3. Set aside 10 minutes every day for your self. Break into the holiday headlong rush through days and nights and give yourself the chance to reflect.
4. Be sure you include activities that you like as well as those you feel you have to do. Torn between going to a family gathering and a friend’s party? Set a time limit on the family gathering, be ready for any negative fallout about leaving, and then go to your friend’s party, guilt free.
5. Take the time to consciously enjoy the things about the holidays that you like. Whether it’s time with friends or family, or giving presents, or holiday music, don’t allow the time slide buy while you focus on the day to day craziness.