The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/221682
C-6 C-6 Wednesday, December Press-Dispatch 4, press-DispAtcH A speciAl section for tHe 2013 Wednesday, December 4,Health and Wellness 2013 The The Press-Dispatch Health& Wellness 2 pAges Serving PiKe and SUrrOUnding COUnTieS WeDnesDAy, Dec. 4, 2013 exercising the body Benefits the Brain Regular exercise can benefit the body in many ways, helping men and women maintain healthier weights and lower their risks for developing potentially deadly diseases. Though many people are quick to associate exercise with its physical benefits, those hours spent on the treadmill also can boost brain power. According to Dr. Barry Gordon, professor of neurology and cognitive science at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions and coauthor of "Intelligent Memory: Improve the Memory That Makes You Smarter," exercise has a direct impact on the brain. That's because exercise works directly on brain tissue, improving the connections between nerve cells, creating new synapses, growing new neurons and blood vessels, and improving cell energy efficiency. So while many people may begin an exercise regimen with a goal of trimming their waistlines or toning their bodies, they might be happy to know that those physical benefits are accompanied by several cognitive benefits as well. As the American Psychological Association acknowledges, the connection between exercise and mental health is hard to ignore, and the APA notes that the following are just a few of the mental benefits men and women might reap from regular exercise. comparable to antidepressants for men and women with major depressive disorder. In addition, in following up with patients a year later, Blumenthal found that those who continued to exercise had lower depression scores than those participants who were less active. Blumenthal's study was not the only Improved mood one to conclude that exercise can have a Many people feel great after exercis- positive impact on mood. In a review of ing, especially if that exercise comes at 11 studies that examined the effects of the end of a particularly stressful day. exercise on mental health, Boston UniHowever, those extra laps on the track or versity professor of psychology Michael those hours spent on the treadmill don't Otto and his colleagues found that exerjust pay short-term dividends. In a con- cise could be a powerful tool when treattrolled trial overseen by Duke Universi- ing clinical depression, and even recty researcher and clinical psychologist ommended clinicians include exercise James Blumenthal, sedentary adults with as part of their treatment plans for demajor depressive disorder were assigned pressed patients. into one of four groups: supervised exerAntIdote to AnxIety cise, home-based exercise, antidepressant therapy, or a placebo pill. Those in Some researchers, Otto included, have the exercise and antidepressant groups begun to examine the effects of exerhad higher rates of remission than those cise on treating and possibly preventing in the placebo group, and Blumenthal anxiety. The body's nervous system reconcluded that exercise was generally sponds quickly when people feel fright- Subscriptions make great gifts! Give the gift that gives year-round, give a Press-Dispatch subscription. See A-3 for details. ened or threatened, often causing the body's heart rate to increase and sweating and dizziness to occur. Those people who are especially sensitive to anxiety respond to these feelings with fear, and that makes them more likely to develop panic disorders. But Otto and fellow researcher Jasper Smits of the Anxiety Research and Treatment Program at Southern Methodist University studied the effects that regular workouts might have on people prone to anxiety. Since exercise produces many of the same physical reactions, such as sweating and an elevated heart rate, the body produces when responding to fear or threats, Otto and Smits wanted to determine if exercise might help people prone to anxiety become less likely to panic when experiencing fear or threats. In studying 60 participants with heightened sensitivity to anxiety, Otto and Smits found that the subjects who participated in a two-week exercise program exhibited marked improvements in anxiety sensitivity comSee BRAIN on page C-7