Interruption Of Physical Exercise: Effects On The Brain
Many types of work force us to sit for hours. If we remain seated even in our free time, we are fully embracing a sedentary lifestyle. Our body needs movement and exercise. In fact, it is a good habit to reserve at least 30 minutes – one hour a day for sporting activity.
It is often tiring to dedicate even this half hour to ourselves… When we completely stop exercising , the reason is usually the accumulated fatigue after so many hours of work, the laziness of getting up earlier or, simply, the bad habit.
In this article we will show you the effects on the brain caused by the interruption of physical activity.
A completely sedentary lifestyle is not only dangerous to health, it also induces changes in our brains that we are not aware of. Let’s see what they are.
Exercise interruption: effects on the brain
Stopping exercise slows blood flow
When we exercise, blood flow increases, not just when we are active. The effects last, in fact, throughout the day.
This doesn’t do much good if we exercise today and then spend the rest of the week without leaving the chair. It is essential to distribute the hours dedicated to physical activity throughout the week.
Increasing circulation is good for brain health. If we leave the sport for a long time, these are some of the consequences:
- Memory worsening: It is easier to forget what we need to do or data to keep in mind. The decrease in blood flow to the brain, in fact, leads to a decrease in neural connections.
- We are more exposed to the risk of stroke, because it can produce a situation of ischemia.
- If blood flow to the brain is severely reduced, irreparable damage to brain tissue can occur.
These are some of the effects of reducing blood circulation that we experience when we stop exercising.
With this in mind, remember that it is not necessary to join the gym to avoid the problems related to a sedentary lifestyle. Walking an hour a day (preferably in nature) already counts as a sporting activity, if it becomes an indispensable habit. In addition, being always still favors the appearance of stress, anxiety and all related health problems.
So if we can avoid them, why not put in a little effort?
Exercise is good for the brain
In addition to the consequences of reduced blood flow, it is important to remember that a sedentary lifestyle causes a number of other changes in the brain.
One of these concerns the hippocampus, one of the areas related to memory. Or, changes can occur in the inferior parietal lobe, an area of the brain that helps us interpret the emotions in other people’s faces and thus better understand their words.
In short, stopping exercise decreases our empathy and instinct.
A sedentary lifestyle also alters the inferior temporal gyrus, which is involved in the recognition of faces, as well as numbers and objects.
At this point it is clear that physical activity is good for the brain and, even if moderate, allows us to prevent sometimes irreversible damage.
The only requirement is to be constant: a few minutes a day are useful for staying in shape and for having good physical and mental health.
And you, do you exercise or have you become lazy?
