Contents:
- Medical Video: After watching this, your brain will not be the same | Lara Boyd | TEDxVancouver
- Is it true that lifting weights can make people smarter?
- Is lifting weights effective for improving brain function?
- How can physical exercise improve cognitive function?
- The key is regular exercise
Medical Video: After watching this, your brain will not be the same | Lara Boyd | TEDxVancouver
There is a cliché assumption that usually intelligent people are not so good at exercising, for example in the weight lifting branch. Conversely, people who are good at sports are usually less intelligent in academic matters. Don't believe with this assumption, huh!
A recent study conducted at the University of Sydney, Australia, revealed that physical strength and brain ability were not contradictory, but were directly proportional. In this study, experts found a close link between increasing muscle strength through weight lifting and an increase in one's brain function. In other words, people who are physically strong, usually the brain is also strong.
Is it true that lifting weights can make people smarter?
The experts observed an association between increased muscle strength and cognitive function using regular weight training methods. The cognitive function itself is the brain's ability to process information, remember, make decisions, make conclusions, and reason (logical thinking).
The trial was conducted in a group of patients aged 55-68 years who suffered from mild cognitive impairment (mild cognitive impairment) The condition of mild cognitive impairment has a lower severity of dementia or senility because the symptoms do not interfere with daily activities. However, people who suffer from mild cognitive impairment have a high risk of suffering from dementia which might develop into Alzheimer's disease.
As a result, people who take weight training do indeed show an increase in brain cognitive function. That means your brain becomes honed and better able to undergo various complicated tasks.
Is lifting weights effective for improving brain function?
This study examined 100 people with mild cognitive impairment who were then divided into four groups, based on the activities they would do. The four activities are weight lifting, stretching exercises (stretching) in a sitting position, cognitive training with computers, and placebo training on a computer.
Weight training lasts for six months with exercise twice a week. As participants gained strength, researchers increased the amount of weight for each exercise and maintained about 80 percent of the participants' total strength.
Only weight training activities that show an increase in cognitive function. Meanwhile, stretching exercises in a sitting position, cognitive training with a computer, and placebo training did not produce anything. These results prove that there is a relationship between muscle strength gained through physical exercise and increased cognitive function. According to Dr. Mavros, principal researcher of the study, there is a clear relationship between cognitive function and increased muscle strength. The stronger the muscles, the greater the increase in cognitive function.
How can physical exercise improve cognitive function?
Exercise or physical exercise can help the body's natural processes, such as glucoregulation and heart health. The problem is, if these two things are not optimal, the risk of cognitive impairment and Alzheimer's disease will increase.
Sports can also improve other cognitive functions, such as exercising attention span or focus, planning things, organizing things, and multitasking or do many things at once.
Some studies also say that there is a relationship between physical exercise and an increase in the size of certain brain areas. With increasing age, the area of the hipoccampus in the brain will shrink and can cause cognitive impairment. However, aerobic exercise has been studied to increase the size of the front hippocampus by two percent and can improve spatial memory (spatial).
The key is regular exercise
You will be more at risk of experiencing cognitive impairments if you do not exercise. Exercise can help prevent dementia and Alzheimer's disease, and improve the health of the heart and blood vessels.
Therefore, health experts advise everyone to exercise more diligently, especially when they are old enough. Dr. Mavros recommends starting physical exercise as you get older. Challenge yourself with the intensity of exercise that is heavy enough for maximum results for your brain's cognitive function.
