Nerve cells communicate with one another via neurotransmitters, chemicals that pass information from neuron to neuron across the synapses between them. When levels of this chemical drop, especially in the hippocampus (the part of the brain that controls our memory), we develop cognitive impairment. It is important to maintain and even help increase acetylcholine in the brain. Exercise is a natural booster to increasing acetylcholine. Low levels of acetylcholine is linked to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Exercise is not just for the young who are vane. It is an essential component to keeping the systems of the body healthy and working optimally. Exercising increases oxygen and blood flow to the brain and activates more neurons to help decrease brain degeneration throughout the aging process.
Daryl Conant, M.Ed.