It’s January. For the majority of us in the United States, it’s cold and dark. Before you consider hitting the couch for a “cuddle alert” that lasts until April, read on for a couple of juicy tidbits that made headlines this week. Just when you thought all the benefits of exercise were already discovered…..
-Cardiovascular exercise makes you smarter: Neuroscientists have recognized that cardiovascular exercise breeds mental clarity. Previously, scientists believed that our brains had a fixed amount of neurons by the time we reach adulthood. It was recently discovered that new neurons in the brain are actually produced throughout one’s life. What prompts new neurons to emerge? Cardiovascular exercise.
-Bones may play a role in maintaining a healthy weight: We’ve all heard that sitting is the new smoking. It’s recently been discovered that sitting not only wreaks havoc on our cardiovascular systems, it also may trick the body into thinking it is lighter than it actually is. Apparently, innate to our biology, there are systems in place to keep us at a steady weight. Hormones like leptin get released to downgrade hunger when the body recognizes a surplus in energy. The new thinking is that the same might be true for our skeletal system. Being sedentary might trick the body, via a decrease in sensation from our bones, that it is lighter than it actually is. Consequently, the hormonal cascade that might occur, had our bones been given the correct information, might not.
Ok, so there is a new theory every other day as to why we should exercise but given the obvious upside and and little to no downside, why the heck not?