A study found inactive adults are more likely to experience cognitive decline than active adults. Exercise is crucial to living a mentally healthy life and is a proven way to boost brain function. You do not even have to be an expert athlete to reap the benefits of exercise. You can benefit from walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week.
Read on as we share the best exercises to help you stay sharp as you age.
3 Exercises to Improve Brain, Heart & Muscle Health
1. Aerobic Exercises
Aerobic exercises are any cardiovascular conditioning. They are sometimes also called "cardio." Aerobic exercises improve your heart health by helping your heart muscle to become more efficient in pumping blood throughout your body. This, in turn, lowers your resting heart rate and improves your circulation.
Regular aerobic exercise also helps to reduce the risk of developing heart disease, stroke, and other chronic conditions such as obesity and type 2 diabetes.
If you are overweight, you should exercise until your breathing becomes heavy and you feel slightly out of breath. Some examples of aerobic exercise are swimming, walking and running. Outdoor activities such as cycling are also beneficial.
2. Strength (Resistance) Training
To build muscle mass and strength, try resistance training. It can also help boost metabolism and reduce body fat.
The stronger your body is, the more calories your lean tissue will burn while supporting your overall health. Lifting weights has been shown to boost memory and cognition in older adults by activating nerve cells in the brain that generate new cells and heal tissues.
Strength training also reduces the risk of developing conditions such as osteoporosis, which occurs when you lose bone mass, decreasing your ability to support your skeleton. This training is also linked to better mental health.
Logging regular workouts twice a week can help combat depression and improve your self-esteem.
There are plenty of strength training exercises you can do. Try doing full-body strength training workouts such as push-ups, crunches and planks. Also, try lifting heavy objects such as barbells and kettlebells for different-sized arm and core muscles.
Lifting weights can build muscle safely and efficiently. Also, lifting heavy objects can strengthen bones, improve posture and prevent falls by maintaining and strengthening muscles.
3. Yoga
You need to be flexible to do any of the above two exercises, which is where yoga can help. Yoga not only helps improve flexibility, but it can also help prevent falls by improving balance and preventing conditions like osteoporosis.
Yoga also boosts immunity by stimulating the nervous system and clearing the mind. Many different poses are recommended for the different parts of the body.
This exercise also strengthens the core, back and hips. Regular yoga can also help you maintain a healthy weight by increasing your metabolism and controlling your portion sizes.
Exercise is a proven way to improve overall brain and heart health. Working out is also a great stress reliever and can reduce symptoms of depression and improve self-esteem. Try exercising regularly to boost your brain health and overall body health.
References
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091743520303030?via%3Dihub
https://barbend.com/training-for-muscle-mass-according-to-researchers/