A Simple Way to Boost Your Brain

Want a bigger brain?

A new study out of Washington University School of Medicine found that more physical activity correlated with larger brain size in healthy adults 🧠

This was based on MRI brain scans of 10,125 men and women (average age 53). The more days they exercised, the larger their brains were in key areas.

Most of the study participants exercised 4 days per week, but the researchers said that even small amounts of exercise (like walking 4000 steps per day) were beneficial.

We don’t always see the results of our efforts immediately, but taking care of our health will pay off in the long run 👟

Reference

Raji CA, Meysami S, Hashemi S, et al. Exercise-Related Physical Activity Relates to Brain Volumes in 10,125 Individuals. J Alzheimers Dis. Published online December 7, 2023. [link]

12 Indoor Exercises for Winter

12 Indoor Exercises to Avoid the Cold 🥶

Movement is essential to health! If you don’t want to brave the cold and don’t have a gym membership, here are some things that anybody can do in their own living room:

🔹 Jump Rope

🔹 Push-Ups

🔹 Jumping Jacks

🔹 Squats

🔹 Run in Place

🔹 Free Weights

🔹 Skip

🔹 Dance

🔹 Stretch

🔹 Shake

🔹 Yoga

🔹 Push-Ups

Health is not hard. You just have to commit.

You've got this! 🙌

How to Get Out of a Funk!

Can movement shift your mindset?

For sure!

💃Break out of a mental funk by turning on some music and dancing it out

🏃 Shift negative thinking with a good workout or run

🏋️‍♂️ Push yourself a little extra hard to train your brain you really can change

We love to compartmentalize our health—thinking that physical health is separate from mental health—when actually they are intimately and intricately connected.

Comment below and tell me your favorite way to get moving! ⤵️

Good News for Weekend Warriors! 🚴‍♀️

🚴‍♀️ Good news for Weekend Warriors!

A new study in JAMA found that more physical activity—even if concentrated into 1-2 days per week—benefits cardiovascular health ❤️

Researchers looked at data from nearly 90,000 adults (average age 62) in the UK Biobank.

When looking at cardiovascular outcomes, including heart attacks and strokes, physical activity concentrated into 1-2 days per week was equally beneficial as the same amount of exercise spread throughout the week.

The takeaway?

👉 Regardless of your schedule, everyone can find ways to benefit from exercise!

Find what pattern works for you. Trust you’re doing a good thing for your health.

When do you like to exercise? Are you a Weekend Warrior—yes or no?

Reference

Khurshid S, Al-Alusi MA, Churchill TW, Guseh JS, Ellinor PT. Accelerometer-Derived “Weekend Warrior” Physical Activity and Incident Cardiovascular Disease. JAMA. 2023;330(3):247–252. [link]

The Latest on the Microbiome!

👇Have you heard?

🤸‍♂️ Exercise can change your gut microbiome 🚴

A new study of middle-aged adults in Canada (just regular people—not athletes) found that exercising 150+ minutes per week had a positive effect on the gut microbiome.

Most people focus on foods to support a healthy gut. This study shows that exercise works too 🙌

What’s even more exciting is that a healthier gut microbiome could translate into better:

✔️ Skin

✔️ Mood

✔️ Digestion

✔️ Metabolism

✔️ Brain Health

✔️ Immune Function

✔️ And Overall Health

This study showed that the gut microbiome responded more to a longer duration of exercise, whereas the exercise intensity didn’t matter.

Like this post ❤️if it motivated you!

Reference

Shah S, Mu C, Moossavi S, et al. Physical activity-induced alterations of the gut microbiota are BMI dependent. FASEB J. 2023;37(4):e22882. [link]