BLUF
You may exercise to look and feel better, but exercise could also be good for your brain.Summary
Exercise is important for heart health and mental wellbeing, but research shows exercise also benefits your brain—and potentially even your vision. Physical activity is now often prescribed as a form of treatment to slow the progression of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. But how?
Exercise increases blood flow to the brain and therefore boosts oxygen supply.
Exercise has been demonstrated to improve learning and memory and slow down age-related cognitive impairment.
The brain is filled with millions of cells connected in an intricate network, which is vital for its functioning.
Exercise can help build more brain cells and to maintain the connections between them.
What may surprise some people is that the benefits of exercise may also extend to the eyes. Some evidence suggests regular exercise reduces the incidence of age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of blindness in the developed world. In addition, studies show people with AMD who exercise appear to have better vision. So how does it work? When we exercise, our muscles release chemical messages that get delivered to the rest of the body. So understanding how muscles behave provides a clue as to how exercise can benefit the entire body, including the brain.
References
Jan 2021 Optimax Can physical exercise boost your eye health?
Jan 2021 Invision Effects of Exercise on Your Vision
Jan 2021 Nature.com Effects of physical exercise on macular vessel density and choroidal thickness in children
May 2021 Today Paul McCartney says eye yoga has preserved his vision. Does it work?
