CARDIOVASCULAR BENEFITS AND THE BRAIN SkyView Physical Education Department

HOW DOES BEING IN GOOD CARDIOVASCULAR SHAPE EFFECT US MENTALLY?

ENDORPHINS  Being in good cardio shape increases endorphin production  These are hormones produced by the brain that cause a person to “feel good”  Endorphins act naturally the same way chemical morphine acts in the body without side effects

MENTAL?  Improves mental alertness  Studies have shown it may cut the risk of mental decline with age  Improves mental cognition  Short term effect

OUR PSYCHE  Decreases strains associated with mental stress  Relaxes tension  Helps adaptability to stressors  Reduces levels of general anxiety  Reduces neuroticism  Neuroticism is a fundamental personality trait in the study of psychology, manifested by characteristics of anxiety, moodiness, worry, envy and jealousy.

STRESS CONT.  Helps lower overreactions due to stress  Aids in providing and maintaining an equilibrium of the hormones which give rise to “fight of flight”  Such hormones include adrenaline and cortisol

MENTAL PAIN!  Shown to help relieve the pain of tension headaches  These are the most common types of headaches  Has shown signs to slow physical impairments cause by Alzheimer’s disease  Helps prevent and relieve migraine headache attacks  Decreases chronic fatigue syndrome Chronic fatigue syndrome refers to severe, continued tiredness that is not relieved by rest and is not directly caused by other medical conditions.

CAN IT MAKE YOU SMARTER??

INTELLIGENCE  Increases brain cell stimulation effecting memory and learning  Builds gray and white matter in the brain  Aids and improves decision-making abilities - As little as 30 minutes of continuous aerobic exercise improved cognition by 5 to 10% (Hillman, C. H., Pontifex, M. B., Raine, L. B., Castelli, D. M., Hall, E. E., & Kramer, A. F. (2009). The effect of acute treadmill walking on cognitive control and academic achievement in preadolescent children. Neuroscience, 159(3), )