The Brain Mechanic

Multiple studies have shown that dance can improve memory and general cognitive function, specifically boosting spatial and working memory. Verghese and his colleagues at Albert Einstein College of Medicine even found a seventy-six percent drop in risk of dementia onset when their participants danced regularly

Engaging in artistic activity lifts you emotionally.

it would seem frequent yoga protects the hippocampus from aging. Since the hippocampus is also the region of the brain responsible for how we manage stress and process our world emotionally, making sure it’s healthy means we boost our overall mood and ward off mental illness

brain is, on average, composed of seventy percent water, and exercise typically makes you more aware of hydration. Feed your hungry brain by making sure its supply systems are optimized.

And we haven’t even mentioned BDNF yet. Exercise is instrumental in the production of a brain protein called FNDC5, which eventually releases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF has been shown to aid general brain functioning and memory processing by preserving existing brain cells, promoting the growth of new brain cells, and encouraging overall brain growth. Human brains tend to shrink when we grow older, but exercise, which creates BDNF, can literally increase the size of your brain.

increased cortical thickness in the left caudal middle frontal area.

Conversely, the lack of BDNF can cause depression, and people suffering from Parkinson’s disease tend to have low levels of the protein.

BDNF has been shown to aid general brain functioning and memory processing by preserving existing brain cells, promoting the growth of new brain cells, and encouraging overall brain growth. Human brains tend to shrink when we grow older, but exercise, which creates BDNF, can literally increase the size of your brain.