It has been scientifically proven “Exercise Improves Memory, Quicker Reaction Time and Creativity”.

Remember “your body is the only place you have to live in, so take care of it.”

Do you believe in the age old adage of ‘All Work and no play makes Jack a dull boy’. Most of our proverbs have a deep underlying meaning to it and most of us frequently use it to highlight our points, in speeches, in blogs, in write ups, but how many of us actually believe in them to follow them?
Due to changing trends and a fast life style, life has become all work leaving us no time to exercise, or play out door games which are vital to keep our bodies fit. Exercise can be done, both indoor and outdoor. While both help us keep fit, outdoor activities like taking a walk, swimming, gardening, playing out door games, refreshes our mind too.
Exercising has huge benefits, to name a few

1. It breaks the monotony of a busy life.
2. Refreshes our mind and relaxes it, to handle situations even better.
3. Has a calming effect which is much needed at the end or beginning of a stressful day.
4. Improves stamina, breathing, strength, flexibility.
5. Enriches us with oxygen
6. Keeps our body in beautiful shape, giving us a boost to our confidence.
7. A fit body keeps an agile mind, a beautiful personality etc.

It has been scientifically proved that along with an agile mind exercising goes a long way in improving our memory, our reaction time, our creativity.

Following are some research based proofs which reiterate the benefits of exercise in scientific terms.

Reference:- http://www.raisesmartkid.com/3-to-6-years-old/4-articles/35-the-benefits-of-exercise-on-your-kids-brain.

• Exercise increases the flow of blood to the brain infusing it with oxygen and glucose, needed to increase alertness and mental focus. A 2007 study done in the Columbia University Lab reveals that a 3 month exercise regimen can increase blood flow to the part of the brain responsible for memory and enhance learning by 30%.
• According to John Ratey MD, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, exercise also stimulates nerve growth factors. He says people who exercise regularly have improved short-term memory, exhibit faster reaction time, and have higher level of creativity.
• It has been proved that exercises build up the body’s level of brain-derived neurotrophic factor or BDNF for long-term memory which causes the brain’s nerve cells to branch out, join together and communicate with each other in new ways, which leads to your kid’s openness to learning.
• Some Psychologists in the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign spent a lot of time studying how exercise helps the child’s brain. They found that physically fit children do better in mental cognitive tests and are also able to better coordinate their thoughts and actions.
• The above is also supported by Studies in University of Illinois which have shown a strong relationship between fitness scores and academic achievement among primary school children.
• Exercise helps children learn better. German researchers found that after exercise, people learn vocabulary words 20% faster than they did before they exercised. It also helps creativity.
• Studies have shown that jumping exercises that increases the heart beats helps children in academic and reading skills.
• According to many studies, stress damages the kid’s brain. Exercise reduces stress by placing the brain into homeostasis a physiological equilibrium. Its effect is similar to taking anti-depressant medications.
• Time has proved that that kids who participate in organized sports learn confidence, teamwork, leadership stress management, managerial skills and a spirit of sportsmanship.
• Eighty one percent of women business executives played team sports as girls.

In addition to the above research based benefits we all know through common sense

• That exercise increases your child’s strength, flexibility and endurance. This gives your kid the       confidence to go through the physical challenges of childhood such as being able to do the simple day to day activities with ease, like running to catch the school bus, carry heavy school bags, play a variety of games, cycle bend etc.
• Exercise helps in metabolism, which keeps a healthy appetite and helps you be fresh bodily and  mentally
• They help maintain body weight and keep you physically well toned. They also help maintain a glowing complexion. This a good, healthy, economical and natural tip for our teenagers who are so very conscious of their physical beauty, instead of resorting to cosmetics and unnatural ways of weight loss.

Having thus proved my point sufficiently, it is now time to inculcate it by following a schedule wherein you keep an everyday slot for exercises. Initially it may seem like another chore but once the benefits start to work themselves you will learn to enjoy it. Exercise should be done so regularly that they form a habit. I am a working professional and a mother of two growing kids, so you can imagine the amount of responsibilities I shoulder, despite that I never compromise on my daily walk so much so that it has now formed a habit. I can never do without my walk.

You spend a lot of money and time on entertainment, shopping, hobbies, now invest in your health which will go a long way to keep you healthy, energetic, motivated and spirited.

Exercise is a treat you are giving to your body.
Remember “YOUR BODY IS THE ONLY PLACE YOU HAVE TO LIVE IN, SO TAKE CARE OF IT.”

Asst. Prof. Trupti Jadhav