So what should you do? Start exercising! We donвЂ™t know exactly which exercise is best. Scott McGinnis, a neurologist at Brigham and WomenвЂ™s Hospital and an instructor in neurology at Harvard Medical School. вЂњEven more exciting is the finding that engaging in a program of regular exercise of moderate intensity over six months or a year is associated with an increase in the volume of selected brain regions,вЂќ says Dr. Many studies have suggested that the parts of the brain that control thinking and memory (the prefrontal cortex and medial temporal cortex) have greater volume in people who exercise versus people who donвЂ™t. Problems in these areas frequently cause or contribute to cognitive impairment. Indirectly, exercise improves mood and sleep, and reduces stress and anxiety. The benefits of exercise come directly from its ability to reduce insulin resistance, reduce inflammation, and stimulate the release of growth factors-chemicals in the brain that affect the health of brain cells, the growth of new blood vessels in the brain, and even the abundance and survival of new brain cells. Exercise and the brainД®xercise helps memory and thinking through both direct and indirect means. They estimate that by the year 2050, more than 115 million people will have dementia worldwide.

Researchers say one new case of dementia is detected every four seconds globally. Resistance training, balance and muscle toning exercises did not have the same results. In a study done at the University of British Columbia, researchers found that regular aerobic exercise, the kind that gets your heart and your sweat glands pumping, appears to boost the size of the hippocampus, the brain area involved in verbal memory and learning. HereвЂ™s another one, which especially applies to those of us (including me) experiencing the brain fog that comes with age: exercise changes the brain in ways that protect memory and thinking skills. Maybe you want to lose weight, lower your blood pressure, prevent depression, or just look better. Big ones include reducing the odds of developing heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. There are plenty of good reasons to be physically active. No content on this site, regardless of date, should ever be used as a substitute for direct medical advice from your doctor or other qualified clinician. Please note the date each article was posted or last reviewed. Fix your eyes on the tip of the marker and trace it with your eyes while drawing the lateral вЂ8вЂ™ or infinity symbol.ARCHIVED CONTENT:В As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content.Draw a big infinity symbol on a whiteboard.

This activity enhances your abilities to understand languages, study comprehension, and eliminate reversals and transpositions. It improves eye muscle movement, visual tracking, peripheral vision, attention span, and coordination.

Following the shape with your eyes have several benefits. In lazy eights, you trace the number eight or infinity symbol with a marker on a whiteboard or with a pen/pencil on white paper. Place your right palm on your belly, left fingers an inch below the collarbone, and massage in a circular motion.Place the thumb and index finger of your right hand an inch below your collarbone.

Brain gym exercise video