Table of contents:
- Understand the relationship between the brain, muscles, and nervous system
- Types of exercise that focus on the feet help maintain brain health
- 1. Walk and run
- 2. Dance
- 3. Climb, climb stairs, and jump
- 4. Lift the weights
- 5. Badminton, tennis and table tennis
As we get older, the brain will also age so that brain function also naturally decreases. Lately, maybe you forget easily or find it difficult to learn new things? These are signs that brain function has begun to slow down. Even so, the decline in brain function related to aging can be delayed or even prevented by exercising early. Research has shown that certain types of exercise that focus specifically on leg strength and endurance can help maintain brain health. What is the relation?
Understand the relationship between the brain, muscles, and nervous system
The brain is the center of the nervous system that regulates and commands all the nervous systems and muscles of the body to perform an action. For example, when you want to kick a ball.
The motor cortex of the brain sends a signal to the spinal cord which then instructs the leg muscles to contract, which is the kicking motion of a ball.
Interestingly, when the area of the brain that is responsible for carrying out a movement is disturbed, the brain will perform neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is the ability of brain nerve cells to repair connections and replace other parts of the brain to take over.
The better your brain's neuroplasticity functions, the more flexible and agile it will be to regulate all bodily functions.
Types of exercise that focus on the feet help maintain brain health
Reporting from Medical News Today, many studies have shown that muscle activity affects neuromuscular function, namely the ability of the nervous system, muscles and brain to work together. The presence of muscle activity can stimulate the formation of new nerve cells, especially in the hippocampus (the area of the brain that stores memory and processes information).
A study led by Raffaella Adami of the Università degli Study in Italy found that this type of exercise that defies gravity supports the brain health of lab rats. This activity is able to develop glial cells whose function is to protect nerve cells, trigger the production of neurons in the brain, as well as increase muscle mass.
The gravity-defying exercise Adami means is a sport where the emphasis and pressure is on the leg muscles. The different types of exercises that focus on leg strength are:
1. Walk and run
Walking, brisk walking, and running are the easiest types of exercise to do. In fact, you can adjust the speed and distance. Most importantly, you can do this sport anytime and anywhere. This type of exercise strengthens leg muscles, improves blood circulation, keeps your brain and heart healthy.
2. Dance
Make no mistake, dancing is also a physical activity. The muscles in your body will contract according to the rhythm of the music. There is cooperation between the senses, the brain, and also the muscles in the body. You can try salsa, samba, or tango dances
This dance focuses on the speed of the movement of your legs, hips and hands. This exercise can improve the balance of your body, make the heart more active, and strengthen bones.
3. Climb, climb stairs, and jump
Not only does walking and running, climbing or climbing stairs also give your feet support. In fact, this type of exercise is actually heavier in intensity because you have to climb and also decrease so that it is more optimal to increase leg bone density.
Apart from that, jumping also benefits the body in the same way as climbing. Jumping requires you to lift your body and eventually land on the ground.
4. Lift the weights
Weightlifting requires you to lift weights so that they put pressure on your hands, back, shoulders, and feet. This exercise is best for increasing muscle mass. In addition, this exercise provides benefits to the body such as increasing bone density and maintaining brain health and keeping the body in shape.
5. Badminton, tennis and table tennis
Any hitting or parrying motion requires you to move your foot following the ball or shuttlecock. Not only that, this sport also requires your arms, wrists, weeks, and spine to move. In addition to burning energy, this type of exercise maintains increased bone density, strengthens leg and hand muscles, and is healthy for your brain.
