Cerebral circulation disorders are one of the most common causes of death and disability. Cerebral stroke is the most common neurological cause of permanent disability and is also a major cause of mortality. Cerebrovascular disorders are most common in the elderly. Chronic cerebral ischaemic failure is on the rise with increasing life expectancy and is projected to increase in the future.
Chronic cerebral circulatory failure (also known as chronic cerebral ischaemia) is caused by insufficient blood flow to the brain. The treatment is very complex and not always successful (e.g. a person who has suffered a stroke is often left with a disability). Preventing these disorders can be significantly more effective through the removal or reduction of cardiovascular risk factors and by enhancing cerebral blood flow.
We all know that exercise is good for our health, but did you know its advantages go beyond muscles to positively impact our brain health?
The benefits of exercise extend beyond the physical activity itself and continue even after it is finished. Physical activity keeps the emotional, cognitive and focusing processes in the brain enhanced for several hours. This is due to related changes in neuronal activity, also known as resting-state functional connections: these connections increase with continuous exercise, i.e. individual parts of the brain are much better able to “talk” to each other.
Aerobic exercise improves one’s brain function in several different ways. It produces new motor neurons and neuronal connections for the release of gamma aminobutyric acid, helping to achieve a natural state of calm. Aerobic activity has a similar effect to that of sedatives, but the mood-boosting effects of exercise occur immediately after the workout and last for a long time. In addition to boosting mood, intense exercise has been shown in scientific studies to improve memory and hippocampal (short-term memory) function.
Moderate-intensity aerobic activity can prevent ageing of brain tissue. Studies show that this activity protects against age-related brain decline and helps maintain grey and white matter in the frontal, parietal and parietal cortices, thus halting cognitive decline. So, not only do we strengthen our muscles by exercising, but we also train our brains. Swedish researchers found that women who did regular cardio exercise were 88% less likely to develop dementia than women who did not exercise.
Cardio-training (prolonged exercise of varying intensity) or other aerobic activity preserves the brain’s cognitive function in old age. Resistance exercises are recommended to keep the brain functioning optimally, but if this is not possible, there are other ways that are accessible to everyone, such as climbing stairs or simply frequently going for walks.
A study conducted by a team of researchers investigating the effects of one year of progressive, moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise on cerebral blood flow, central arterial stiffness and cognitive performance in cognitively normal older people showed that, that one year of progressive, moderate or vigorous aerobic exercise increased cerebral blood flow and reduced carotid artery stiffness and cerebrovascular resistance, which is associated with improved memory function in cognitively normal elderly people.
So, if you want to prevent brain ageing, practise physical aerobic activity. This could be 10,000 steps a day, 3-5 times a week. Of those 10,000 steps, about 3,000 are recommended at a faster pace to increase the heart rate to 120-140 bpm. This regime also releases the so-called “drug” myokines, which are released from the muscles to important organs, including the brain, restoring neurons and rejuvenating them.
Find out how certain healthy lifestyle factors affect our blood vessels and overall health. Perhaps scientific facts will inspire you to make changes.
