The Brain & Exercise ConnectionA mood altering, uplifting, and life changing thing…. What is it? You guessed it…

E-X-E-R-C-I-S-E!

This video is intended to get your mind working… (disregard the cyclist statement at the end it’s just a good awareness jolt for concentration)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ahg6qcgoay4

Exercise Boosts Your

Mood and MindHow:

•Increases neurotransmitters in your brain

•Increases endorphins

•Increases serotonin

•Reduces stress

•Increases concentration

•Increases blood supply

Neurotransmitters: Neurotransmitters are the “chemicals

which allow the transmission of signals from one neuron to the next across synapses”. (Boeree, 2003-2009)

Exercise increases and stimulates the growth of neurons.

Endorphins Endorphins are “endogenous opioid

peptides that function as neurotransmitters. They are produced by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus in vertebrates during exercise, excitement, pain, consumption of spicy food, love and orgasm, and they resemble the opiates in their abilities to produce analgesia and a feeling of well-being” (Wikipedia, Jan 11)

An Increase in Endorphins Exercise increases endorphins which are

known to stimulate a sense of well-being and boost your mood

Endorphins decrease pain Sometimes described as euphoric

(WebMd, Mar 2010) Can promote a positive outlook and

energizing feeling towards life

Serotonin

Serotonin is “a hormone that is found naturally in the human brain” (www.wisegeek.com, 2011)

Known as the feel good hormoneCan relieve depression (

www.wisegeek.com, 2011)

Serotonin (cont.) Promotes deeper and more restful sleep Increases ability to concentrate Relaxed feeling

ZZ

ZZ

Z

Z

(Smith, pg98-99)

Reduces Stress According to the Mayo Clinic:

“As you begin to regularly shed your daily tensions through movement and physical activity, you may find that this focus on a single task, and the resulting energy and optimism, can help you remain calm and clear in everything that you do.” (Mayo Clinic, 2010)

Exercise and stress- “It ignites your ability to creatively solve

problems, thrive under pressure, and perform at peak levels of effectiveness.” (Smith, pg75)

National Institute of Mental Health study: “…of over 1,900 individuals, people with

little or no recreational activity are twice as likely to have depressive symptoms as people who regularly do aerobic exercise.” (Howard, pg223)

Click on the link below to see the beginning stages of getting motivated for

exercise! (To break the ice a little)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPc137Wukww

Increases Concentration “Physical exercise has a protective effect

on the brain and its mental processes, and may even help prevent Alzheimer's disease. Based on exercise and health data from nearly 5,000 men and women over 65 years of age, those who exercised were less likely to lose their mental abilities or develop dementia, including Alzheimer's. “ (www.fi.edu, 2010)

Concentration (cont.)

Exercising stimulates new portions of the brain which further increases the number of neural connections

New neural connections equals more learning

It increases blood flow and circulation to the brain putting it in optimal performance (www.fi.edu)

Has a specific impact on the frontal lobes and can help to combat a ‘mental decline’, particularly in old age (www.fi.edu)

Blood supply Exercise increases the blood supply in

your brain The extra blood supply helps the blood

vessels to work more efficiently According to SuperPerformance.com:

“This has the effect of improving nutrient delivery and waste removal from critical regions that effect mental function.”

Blood supply continued… According to Pamela M. Smith RD, by

increasing your oxygen intake through exercise, it also increases something called ‘red corpuscles’ which carry oxygen to your brain. (Smith, pg75)

The increases in blood oxygen ‘enhances the functioning of every organ in your body’. (Smith, pg73-76)

“25% of your blood is in your brain at any one time during exercise”, no wonder it improves concentration, reduces stress, and boosts mood! (Smith, pg74)

Parts of the Brain Impacted

Carollee Barlow stated: "It's almost as if they were wearing pedometers, and those that ran more grew more cells.“ (www.fi.edu) relating to the mind-brain connection.

Running boosts activity in the hippocampus which has been known for learning and memory (www.fi.edu)

Hippocampus The hippocampus plays a crucial role in

‘learning, memory, and attention’ (www.superperformance.com)

This region also plays a large role in stress response.

Exercise is Brain Stimulating!

The mind-brain connection is superior among any other form of activity

A 30 minutes walk could improve your mental functioning, mood, and memory

It has been shown to help with the age related mental decline

A chemical called beta-endorphin is also released during exercise which promotes a sense of well being. (Smith, pg 74)

Exercise rocks! There are brain exercises such as word

puzzles that are even helpful! Physical exercise has been statistically

shown to improve the overall functioning of the brain

Neuron connections are drastically improved and neurons are even formed from this simple activity!

Not exercising… “..because of the interconnected nature

of the muscular system, brain, and other processes of the body, being sedentary also depresses your mood, your thinking, and your ability to work productively.” (Smith, pg75)

Exercise is empowering! “It can create a change in biochemistry

that launches you into a state of confidence and exhilaration.”(Smith, pg75)

Optical Illusions

Here is a motivational clip to get you moving!http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiEbYSee3KI

Annotated Bibliography

Boeree, George C. Dr. (2003-2009). General Psychology – Neurotransmitters. Retrieved January 16, 2010 from

http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/genpsyneurotransmitter.html

This website was very helpful for teaching people about what the job of a neurotransmitter is. This website was a solid basis for any psychology

student to refresh their mind on the different terminology that a field like this has.

Endorphins Return, Fly Too. (25 May 2010). Retrieved January 16, 2010 fromhttp://glassrocklife.com/?p=2907

This website wasn’t used for a whole lot of information. It was more a basis of a good endorphin quote and a couple of great references to endorphins in our lives.

Evans, Simon. (2010) Physical Fitness Improves Brain Health. Retrieved January 16, 2010 from http://superperformance.com/fitnessandbrain.php

The SuperPerformance website is a website designed for people that are interested in fitness and the benefits it can have on your mood and emotions. Great resource for learning.

Hillman, Charles H.; Erickson, Kirk I.; Kramer, Arthur F. Nature Reviews Neuroscience. Be smart, exercise your heart: exercise effects on brain and cognition.

Jan2008, Vol. 9 Issue 1, p58-65, 8p.

This is a very short article about exercise and improving your concentration.Great read, easy learning.

Howard, Pierce J. M.D. The Owner’s Manual for The Brain, Everyday Applications from Mind-Brain Research. Third Edition. 2006. Part Three: Wellness, Chapter 10: The Body Cognitive Topic 10.1-10.4, Physical Activity, Aerobics, Importance of Choice, Altering Moods and Cravings, pg 222-228.

This book had such great information. Full of studies, research, and experiment facts. A lot of scholars and scientists put their content into this book and its jam packed full

of information.

Kotz, Deborah. (Aug 2010). Exercise Your Body – and Brain. US News and World Report, Vol 147, Issue 7, p 36-36, 1p.

This particular article was found using EBSO. Probably one of the most reliable sources I found with the most information in a concise format. The author listed 5 main ways to

positively change a person’s psychological and emotional state through exercise and the mind-brain connection.

Madison, N. (2003-2011). What is Serotonin? Retrieved January 16, 2010 from http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-serotonin.htm

This website was a helpful for really breaking down the terms and making them moreuser friendly to understand. It gave great examples and had great terminology for the every day learner.

Mayo Clinic Staff. (23 July 2010). Exercise and Stress: Get Moving to Combat Stress. Mayoclinic. Retrieved January 16, 2010 from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/exercise-and-

stress/SR00036

Great website for medical information, exercise, and almost any othertopic related to human health. Very informative and easy to read.Great information on almost any link from this website in regardsof how to improve your health and life.

Smith, Pamela M. The Energy Edge. Get Moving. 1991. Part 2, Chapter 7-9, Page 73-101.

This book is a great refresher for the overall benefits of exercise. It also goes into great detail on how the brain benefits from exercise in Chapters 7-9. Very

informative, great read.

Unisys. (2010). Renew – Exercise. The Human Brain. Retrieved January 16, 2010 from http://www.fi.edu/learn/brain/exercise.html

This website was a very credible website that has been designed to educate all types of people. Targeted a bit more at the avid learner that is interested in overall health. This is also the article on the class website, but the actual website goes into greater detail about the positive effects exercise has on the brain.

Zieve, David. (4 Aug 2009). Premenstrual Syndrome. A.D.A.M. Inc. Retrieved January 16, 2010 fromhttp://www.qualityhealth.com/health-encyclopedia/in-depth-reports/premenstrual-syndrome

This website surprisingly had a lot of information on endorphins, serotonin, and the effects of exercise. I hadn’t expected a website like this to relate so much to exercise and the brain but proved to be a very reliable source. This is also where I found two photos that were used in the PowerPoint.