Mind-Body Connection

Oh, yea, I'm a firm believer in the mind-body connection.  And, in the context of healthy aging, this is undeniable.  I have blogged about this a little before.  Referencing the generation that lived through the holocaust and great depression, they have seen and intimately felt the power of the mind to overcome what their body wanted.  After all, survival was at stake.  Think of this..

"It is your brain that decides to get you out of bed in the morning to exercise, to give you a stronger body,. or to cause you to hit the snooze button and procrastinate your work out.... It is your brain that pushes you away from the table telling you that you have had enough, or that gives you permission to have the second helping of Rocky Road ice cream, making you look and feel like a blob.  It is your brain that manages the stress in your life and relaxes you..." (D.Amen, MD)

Now, my take...It is your brain that decides you need to be angry -  that entices you to hold a grudge.  It's your brain that allows you to feel frustrated and keeps you from feeling connected to people around you.  It is your brain that allows you to stop, take a deep breath, and be thankful for the day ahead of you  and not dread it.  You are in charge here - take this bull by the horns!

Exercise is the single most important thing we can do to enhance brain function and keep your body looking and feeling young.  When you are physically active, you know your heart pumps blood throughout the body.  Benefits include improved oxygen, glucose and nutrient supply to the brain.  Dr. Amen reports that aerobic exercise that raises your heart rate for a prolonged period of time encourages the growth of new brain cells (enter endurance sports!).  In Naperville, IL, a school PE program was celebrated for its profound effect on academic success.  Once implemented, this program which ditched traditional sports and games in favor of high intensity aerobic activity (warm up followed by 1 mile run with heart rate 185 or higher followed by cool-down), was deemed the reason for 8th graders unprecedented success on the TIMSS test.  They ranked 1st in the world in math and 6th in science  (US students' national ranking was 18th in science and 19th in math).

If you apply this to the many reasons you need to be in charge of your body, you will see the value of this mind-body connection.  Maybe Alzheimers or dementia or heart disease run in your family.  Maybe you are studying for for SATs or just learning a ton of new information at work.  Maybe you're not happy with the current state of your health, or you just want to age well.  Engage your brain through exercise and watch how the loop of brain to body to brain feeds you.  Make a decision - get active, get happy, and stay young.  You won't regret it.  Less regret, less stress, better brain response.  Get it?