Exercising for 10 minutes three times a week can make your BRAIN bigger, according to new study

A quick workout that raises your heart rate just three times per week is enough to make the brain bigger.

Scientists in Canada and the US set out to explore the relationship between getting moderate to vigorous exercise around two to three days a week and the effects on brain volume.

After examining MRI brain scans of more than 10,000 people, and tracking their health behaviors, the researchers discovered those who exercised regularly had bigger brains.

This was specifically seen in areas that govern information and memory processing, sensory perception, muscle control, and decision-making.

Some of the types of physical activity that had this effect included running, walking, and team sports. 

Individuals who regularly engaged in moderate to vigorous physical exercise including walking, running, or playing sports exhibited increased brain volume in areas crucial to establishing communication between brain cells, processing new information, and storing memories

But before you set a goal to get 10,000 steps a day, scientists reported that taking just 4,000 steps can have a positive effect on brain health.

The research has promising implications for understanding dementia and how to prevent it. Engaging in regular physical activity is believed to clear out plaques in the brain that can lead to dementia and improve cognitive functioning.

Dr Cyrus Raji, the lead researcher behind the study, said: ‘Our research supports earlier studies that show being physically active is good for your brain. 

'Exercise not only lowers the risk of dementia but also helps in maintaining brain size, which is crucial as we age.’

Scientists across the US and Canada examined brain scans taken of 10,125 healthy adults with an average age of 53, still younger than the typical dementia patient.

They asked all of the participants how often they worked out over a two-week period and divided the population into a group that exercised and a group that didn’t. 

Researchers from the US and Canada reported that taking fewer than 4,000 steps a day - far fewer than the standard recommendation of 10,000 - was enough to have a positive effect on brain health

The exercise group worked out between two to three days a week on average, while the other one was considered the non-exercise group if they worked out less often than that or not at all. 

Authors of the study said the two-three day threshold, far lower than the five-day 150-minute recommendation by the federal government, was intentionally selected so as it define a level of physical activity that could be attained by more individuals'.  

Around three-quarters of study participants engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity such as cycling, swimming, and walking four times per week on average for at least 10 minutes per day.

The more a person exercised, the larger their brain volume appeared in MRI scans.

Regular exercise improves memory in old age

Jogging just once a month is enough to protect your memory in later life, research from the University College London shows - even for couch potatoes who take it up in their 50s and 60s. 

Dr David Merrill, study co-author and director of the Pacific Neuroscience Institute’s Brain Health Center, said: ‘We found that even moderate levels of physical activity, such as taking fewer than 4,000 steps a day, can have a positive effect on brain health.

‘This is much less than the often-suggested 10,000 steps, making it a more achievable goal for many people.’

Physically active people had larger volumes of gray matter and white matter, both crucial tissues in the brain. 

Gray matter is crucial to sensory and language processing in the brain. Around 40 percent of the brain consists of gray matter.

White matter is found in the deeper tissues of the brain that foster communication between nerve cells, providing pathways for transmitting signals between different regions of the brain.

They also had a larger hippocampus, the region of the brain most associated with the conversion of short-term memories to long-term ones. In cases of Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia, the hippocampus is one of the first parts of the brain to suffer.

Hallmarks of Alzheimer’s, such as beta-amyloid plaques and tau tangles build up in the hippocampus. 

As the disease progresses, the hippocampus degenerates, manifesting as difficulty remembering recent events and processing new information.

Staying active, especially in adulthood, has long been known to have various health benefits for an aging body and brain.

The neurological benefits of exercise run the gamut from growing new brain cells to counteract those lost with age and improving oxygen flow to the brain to reducing inflammation and protecting against cell damage caused by free radicals.

The study was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.