Recent research indicates that exercise is correlated with an increase in cognitive function. This is thought to be due to the presence of the GPLD1 protein, which is available in greater numbers to people who are exercising. The GLPD1 protein is created mostly within the liver, and promotes neurogenesis (the production of new neurons) within the memory centers of the brain. This indicates that exercising, and thus an increase in GPLD1 proteins, can have a positive impact on learning and memory functions for elderly people.
- GPLD1 protein promotes increase in production of new neurons in memory centers
- Presence of higher levels of GPLD1 protein in elderly mice was correlated with increased performance on tests relating to learning and memory
- GPLD1 protein is produced in the liver, which is normally not thought to be an organ that has a lot of interplay with the brain
3 is the Magic Number in Exercising
Malone and colleagues (Journal of Translational Behavioral Medicine) recently performed a meta-analysis of the physical activity patterns of more than 9000 US adults. Their findings challenge the current guidelines of exercise-per-week, which has been a standard since 2008. This standard indicates that it is pivotal to maintain 150 minutes of exercise per week. However, Malone and colleagues think that this may focus too heavily on volume and frequency, when variety should play a more important role. The key finding of their work is that subjects who did more types of exercise accumulated more total exercise per week on average. More specifically, the magic number was three. Those who engaged in three or more types of exercise were more likely to achieve the 150 minutes of exercise per week. Variety is also important, because it helps to prevent overuse injuries and burnout.
Key Takeaways:
- Current guidelines may places too much emphasis on frequency and volume of exercise, when variety may be even more important
- Subjects who did more types of exercises also accumulated more total exercise
- Those who do three or more different activities per month are more likely to achieve 150 minutes of exercise per week than those doing just one or two activities
- Women report having seven fewer hours of free time per week than men and are less likely than men to engage in exercise bouts lasting an hour or more
- Many women in the study reached the 150 minutes a week because they exercised frequently, six days a week on average
- Even in the case of these successful female exercisers, Malone’s research indicates those who only did one from of exercise were less likely to reach the 150-minute target than those who did several types of activity
- A recent analysis of 1.7 million American adults found that those who did both aerobic and strength training had a lower prevalence of obesity than those who did just cardio or just strength
- Variety helps to prevent overuse injuries
- Variety also impacts various different body systems.
- Swimming and cycling provide great cardio and some strength benefits, but they do not do much for strengthening your bones since they are not weight-bearing activities.
- For improving bone health, add in strength training or something high impact like basketball
- Yoga and stretching offer mental health benefits on top of the improvement upon range of motion
- Hiking outdoors can increase overall well-being, as well as provide good exercise