A few years ago I noticed that I was forgetting more things than in the past so I started looking for ways to support my brain to keep it strong and healthy. Exercise is one way to do this.
We have all heard about how important exercise is for the body and overall health so I would like to highlight some points on how it affects the brain.
One of the ways exercise helps the brain is that it can improve the quality of your sleep. Exercising early in the day can produce deeper sleep, and deeper sleep is more healing for brain function. We need to get to stage 3 sleep for the cleaning and healing to begin.
Another way exercise improves brain function is through neuroplasticity, which allows the brain to form new connections and adapt to life's changes. Exercise also improves the blood flow and this improves the clarity of our thoughts.
It will also release endorphins which can help you focus on the positive things in your life which will improve your overall mindset as well as mood.
Aerobic exercise seems to produce the best results for these brain improvements. This can be as simple as walking, or as intense as HIIT training (High Intensity Interval Training.) HIIT is pushing yourself for 30 seconds and then recovering, then repeat for up to 15 minutes
Always remember to start where you are and make small daily improvements. Overdoing it can cause injury and setbacks so don’t push too hard just decide to develop a habit.
Rewarding yourself for what you did today will help you to repeat the action tomorrow, the reward can be as simple as an affirmation or a healthy treat.
Need a boost to get started? Grab your peppermint oil, add a drop to your hands and then inhale deeply a few times.
If you don’t have oils yet, we can help you get the best quality oils delivered right to your door.
In the comments tell us your favorite way to exercise!
Mine is swimming, Arizona here I come!
Have a great day
I want to talk a bit about about attitude or mindset. First let’s clarify the difference between the brain and your mind.
The brain is an organ similar to your heart or liver, it runs your central nervous system and its job is to keep you alive and safe, it runs automatically.
Your mind is the part of you that is aware of thoughts, feelings, imagination and perception. You have the ability to control your mind. A thought will pop in but it is your choice to dwell on it or change it.
Thoughts pop in or things happen and our subconscious that runs automatically, will kick in, but we have the ability to override how we react or what we think.
Our minds control our brains, and our brains control our bodies, so it is very important to have a good attitude. One of my all time favorite quotes is from Joyce Meyer, "You can be powerful or you can be pitiful but you can not be both."
It is in our control what we focus on, what we think about, and what we think about or believe affects our daily lives. If we tell ourselves and believe that we are healthy our brains will take this belief into its daily functions and the body will react accordingly.
If we continually tell ourselves that we are sick and unhealthy our bodies will adapt to meet that thought pattern we are sending it.
Our attitude or mindset is in our control but we must choose to be proactive or it will default based on our past experiences. This is why prayer and meditation are powerful tools for creating a healthy lifestyle.
Prayer, meditation, and Aroma Freedom Technique (AFT) are just a few of the ways we can improve our mindset.
Let me know in the comments what your favorite way is!
