Exercise and its Significance on Cognitive Function

-Move the body, sharpen the mind.

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What exactly is cognitive function? 

The mental processes that enable us to think, learn, remember, perceive, and make judgements are referred to as cognitive function. Behaviour, reactions to the surroundings and general brain health are all impacted by these processes which control how the brain functions and are necessary for daily tasks. It includes functions like : attention, reasoning and judgment, memory, perception, planning and organizing, orientation and interpreting and responding to social interactions that take place. Cognitive functions are essential in order to learn and adapt to different experiences. There is a general tendency of it to deteriorate due to factors such as aging, neurodegenerative conditions, trauma and more.

Evidence demonstrates that efficient physical activity indeed improves one's cognitive ability and health across the human lifespan. According to a study, the hippocampus, the part of the brain involved in language memory and learning, seems to grow larger when you engage in regular aerobic exercise that raises your heart rate and causes your sweat glands to work.

Therefore aerobic fitness improves cognitive processes that allow one to adapt to challenges more successfully and accomplish tasks more effectively. 

The connecting link between exercise and cognitive function

How does exercise play a role in this?

Exercise plays a major role in fueling the brain. It increases blood flow to the brain due to the high metabolic demand produced due to exercise. In addition to increasing the generation of chemicals and molecules necessary for brain function, including memory, this increased blood flow is essential because it stimulates blood flow to provide all the nutrients needed to perform the brain's task.

Regular exercise improves memory, speed of thinking, and executive functions as it boosts the size of the hippocampus which is essential for learning and memory. It also indirectly enhances cognition by lowering anxiety, stress, and sleep quality all of which can otherwise impede cognitive function. It is interesting to note that exercise also plays a role in decreasing stress. It is plainly not a direct remedy or cure for stress but it does help calm the experience. It does so by reducing the quantity of stress receptors in the hippocampus and not by reducing the quantity of stress hormones. This lessens the impact of stressful events by minimizing the influence of stress hormones on the brain.

Effects of exercise

Aerobic activity boosts molecular targets such as the brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and thereby enhances memory. It does so by promoting the creation of new synapses that mediates learning and memory, this chemical factor facilitates the absorption of information and the establishment of long-term memories. The function and capacity of the memory increase with increasing brain derived neurotrophic factor.

In conclusion, physical activity protects the brain from aging and stress-induced deterioration while enhancing a variety of cognitive abilities, including memory, attention, and executive competence. 

References : 

Fernando Gomez-Pinilla, Charles Hillman : Published in final edited form as: Compr Physiol. 2013 Jan;3(1):403–428. doi: 10.1002/cphy.c110063 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3951958/

https://lifesciences.byu.edu/how-exercise-affects-your-brain