It’s hardly news that exercise is good for your physical health, and has long been extolled for mental health as well. But research shows that exercise and training has profound effects on brain structure itself, and especially in regions most affected by depression and mental disorders.
But, here's another area where the good news keeps coming. Exercise also provides other, more subtle benefits such as focus, a sense of accomplishment and sometimes social stimulation, all of which are therapeutic in their own right. Maybe we won't have any Einstein-level revelations while on a bike ride but that problem you've been trying to work out in your head might just work itself out while you ride. Give it a try. A ride just might do you some good in more ways than you thought.
Physical exercise triggers the release of a protein known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF is one of the key molecules that encourage the growth of new brain cells — and don't we all have day when we yearn for a few more of those - including, possibly, in the hippocampus, a brain region important in memory and learning. So, yay - one more reason to ride!
What's on your mind? A ride might be just the thing to help you work it out.
