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12 Sep, 21 tweets, 4 min read
Why Exercise? β€” The Neurobiological Benefits of Exercise

How working out can make you happier, smarter, driven, and focused.

(πšπš‘πš›πšŽπšŠπš)
π„π¦π¨π­π’π¨π§πšπ₯ π’π­πšπ­πž

Let’s start with what you already know β€” exercise makes you feel good. Why?

The standard answer is endorphins. They kill off any pain or stress and produce a feeling of euphoria.

However, endorphins are only a small part of the picture.
Exercise also boosts the levels of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.

Altogether, these three neurotransmitters heavily influence your productivity, energy, and happiness.

Serotonin regulates your mood, appetite, sleep, and overall sense of well-being.
Low levels of serotonin are associated with depression.

Norepinephrine influences your mood, energy, and ability to concentrate.

Low levels of norepinephrine can cause lethargy, lack of concentration, ADHD, and possibly depression.
Dopamine’s two primary functions are motivation and movement.

Modern addictions like social media kill motivation by deregulating dopamine receptors in the brain.

Exercise reverses this damage by triggering the creation of dopamine receptors in the reward center.
π‚π¨π π§π’π­π’π―πž 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

There’s a powerful connection between brain and movement.

Movement signals to the brain that something important is happening.

Back in the day, we engaged in movement only for the imp. stuff β€” to escape a predator, to forage, to hunt.
These complex tasks were simultaneously physically and mentally demanding β€” moving on a landscape, using memory to know where to go and navigate your way back, making decisions while paying attention to the surroundings, and monitoring your motor systems over complex terrain.
And so now, when we move and exercise, our brain gets primed to learn faster and better remember things

Numerous studies show the positive association between exercise and cognitive performance.

Exercise creates lasting changes in the brain’s anatomy, physiology, and function.
Brain scans show that prefrontal cortex and hippocampus β€” regions that control rational thinking and memory β€” are larger in people who exercise regularly

A powerful protein called Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) is key to these changes. Exercise bathes the brain in BDNF
BDNF is like fertilizer for your brain β€” it improves the function of neurons, encourages their growth, protects and strengthens them.

It also increases your brain’s plasticity. High BDNF makes you learn faster, remember better, age slower, and rapidly rewire your brain.
𝐌𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐚π₯ π‡πžπšπ₯𝐭𝐑

Chronic stress is a major precursor to mental and physical illnesses.

Exercise is extremely effective at dissipating stress and equipping you to better handle future stressors.
Regular exercise also protects your brain against cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases (like Alzheimer’s and Dementia)

Given what we’ve discussed, it shouldn't come as a surprise that regular exercise is associated with lower neuroticism, anxiety, and depression.
Not only that, but physical exercise is also a proven treatment for depression, anxiety disorders, and addictions.

Studies show that exercise is as effective (if not more) as anti-depressants and psychotherapy.
𝐖𝐒π₯π₯𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 / π’πžπ₯𝐟-𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨π₯

Willpower is your ability to delay gratification and resist short-term temptations.

It’s not an abstract concept. Willpower has a biological basis, in the brain and the body. And like a muscle, you can strengthen it.
When your brain detects a conflict (or a possible future regret), it launches a sequence of events called the Pause-and-Plan response to help you make a decision that’s conducive to your long-term goals.

It is essentially the opposite of the body’s Fight-or-Flight response.
According to the book The Willpower Instinct, the single best physiological measurement of the pause-and-plan response is something called heart rate variability.

Consistent aerobic exercise increases the heart’s stroke volume, thereby lowering the resting heart rate.
This creates more space for variability between heartbeats.

And so exercise increases your willpower by strengthening your ability to engage the Pause-and-Plan response.

I'll dive deeper into this topic in a separate thread.
Sources for all these claims? Here you go: docs.google.com/document/d/18r…

As for what kind of exercise is best, just pick something you can stick to. However, a lot of the benefits we discussed above are tied to aerobic exercise. You gotta get your heart rate up to reap those benefits.
The easiest and the most enjoyable way to integrate exercise into your life is to pick a sport.

Exercise is one of those keystone habits that will create a domino effect in every area of your life.
β€œIf there were a drug that could do for human health everything that exercise can, it would likely be the most valuable pharmaceutical ever developed.” β€” Mark Tarnopolsky

If you found this stuff valuable, please show some love to the first tweet. Cheers.

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More from @kunaaaaaal

13 Sep 19
Alright, we gotta talk about your Reticular Activating System.

"The what now?"

This tiny little system at the base of your brain which plays a BIG role in shaping your reality.

Let's talk about how the RAS works and how you can hack it to create the reality you want.

<Thread>
At every moment, your environment is bombarding your brain with millions of bits of data.

There are hundreds of things in your vision...

Your ears are taking in ten different kinds of sounds...

Your skin is experiencing distinct sensations all over your body...
Now your brain can only process so much at a time.

It also needs to make sure you react quickly to any dangers or big opportunities.

So it cannot take in everything at equal value.

This is where your RAS comes in. It acts as a filter and eliminates the white noise.
Read 17 tweets

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