Exercise Makes You Smarter
An article in the New York Times shows us that students who exercise get better grades.
Exercise does several things that help your mind. First, exercise burns off cortisol, the stress hormone that has been shown to make memory worse. It’s important to have balanced hormone levels in a stress-free environment to learn new things properly.
Second, Exercise stimulates the millions (billions? trillions?) nerve endings that relay information about movement. The movement nerve signals enter the brain to increase brain activity. This is called the Central Integrative State, and it is increased with movement. A huge portion of this information comes from movement receptors in the spine, since the spine is at the core and the spine is phylogenically older than the rest of the body. Pylogenically older is evolutional speak saying that more rudimentary animals developed spines before they developed limbs. Stimulate the spine, stimulate the mind.
Third, exercise breaks up study sessions, so the mind has time to process the new information. The new information is also integrated and associated with activities during exercise. Have you ever listened to an audiobook while hiking? When you do, there are certain phrases that you heard in the audiobook that can be triggered the second time you walk, hike or run through the same area. Even if you don’t listen to audiobooks while hiking or running, the mind will mull over what you have done in the previous hours, and will process that information for future reference.
Physical Activity makes you smarter. Chiropractic care helps your physical activity levels stay high so you can remain at your personal best.
Todd Lloyd, DC
Sonoma Chiropractor
A few lifestyle changes can improve our nation’s health and save our country a lot of money: Eat less food. Eat healthier food. Exercise. Don’t smoke. Get adjusted by your chiropractor. These simple lifestyle choices all have a positive long-term impact on your health and would drastically reduce the cost of nation’s health-care.