Can Exercise Make You Smarter?

We all know regular exercise is good for us. An active lifestyle helps to keep our muscles strong, our hearts healthy and our feelings positive. But now, a recently published study suggests that regular exercise can help keep our minds in top condition too!

Researchers in Japan found that regular exercise can improve the brain’s ability to function by training brain cells to use the sugar in blood – the brain’s natural energy source – more efficiently. If you’ve ever worked out without having enough to eat, you know how important the right blood sugar levels can be. When these levels get low, your body feels weak, you have trouble concentrating and making decisions, and sometimes your head even starts to spin. This is because the stress of a workout burns blood sugar faster than what your body can supply, and so literally, you run out of fuel.

The study, however, revealed that regular exercise can condition cells in the brain to store higher levels of blood sugar to make up for the faster burn rate. So just as having low blood sugar bogs your brain down, having a healthy supply keeps your mind sharp.

Have you felt the positive effects of a healthy fitness routine on your mind? Tell us how exercise has sharpened your thought process in the comment box below or through our networks on Facebook or Twitter.