Aerobics is not just good for your body but for your mind too. Here’s why

You don’t need to be a young gun to pull off aerobics. In fact, even your parents can-and should-do it!
Aerobics
Aerobics is for everyone. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
Team Health Shots Published: 15 May 2020, 17:32 pm IST
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Staying fit doesn’t come with age restrictions. On social media we can see women and men of all ages trying out fitness activities, which is very motivating to see the least. One such exercise that doesn’t have an age bar is aerobics. 

Apart from weight loss, did you know that aerobic activity also helps in tackling type-2 diabetes? Yup, that’s what a study published in the journal Health Psychology Research suggests. In fact, it also says that stress and anxiety might also stay away from those who indulge in aerobics. 

Not just that, a new study says that aerobics is great for your brain too  
A recent study published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology also suggests that our brain functions better if we do aerobics regularly. 

The researchers found that after six months of exercise, participants improved by 5.7% on tests of executive function, which includes mental flexibility and self-correction.

ageing parents
Your parents can also indulge in aerobics. Image Courtesy: Shutterstock

The participants also showed improvement in their verbal fluency by 2.4%. Do you know that this change in verbal fluency is what one can expect to see in someone five years younger?

“As we all find out eventually, we lose a bit mentally and physically as we age. But even if you start an exercise programme later in life, the benefit to your brain may be immense,” said study author Marc J Poulin from University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada.

Aerobic exercise helps in improving blood circulation
“As our study found, it may also get blood moving to your brain, particularly in areas responsible for verbal fluency and executive functions. Our findings may be important, especially for older adults at risk for Alzheimer’s and other dementias and brain disease,” Poulin said.

Poulin added:

Six months’ worth of vigorous exercise may pump blood to regions of the brain that specifically improve your verbal skills as well as memory and mental sharpness.

“At a time when these results would be expected to be decreasing due to normal aging, to have these types of increases is exciting,” the authors wrote.

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PERSONALISE NOW

You see how aerobics is actually great for you and your family’s overall health? So, on the occasion of International Family Day, play some music and indulge in some aerobics with your entire family. 

(With inputs from IANS)

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