Exercise Brain Growth (video)

Maximize Learning at School or Work!

Watch this video showing how exercise grows new brain cells.  See how exercise improves our mood, vigor, and productivity while it decreases tension, depression, aggression, and fatigue.  Exercise increases our capacity to learn by increasing attention, motivation and memory. At the cellular level it increases neurotransmitters (e.g., dopamine, serotonin, nor-epinephrin) and neurotrophins like BDNF (Miracle-Gro for the brain) which helps brain cells wire together needed to learn.  Exercise increases vascular flow providing more oxygen and glucose to the brain while helping remove cellular breakdown products.

Dr. John Ratey, clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, author of SPARK answers many questions (e.g., how much to exercise, what kind of exercise works best, why obesity slows learning, how to slow cognitive decline, how the heart influences brain function, and much more).