How Exercise Benefits Mental and Physical Health

Exercise has immediate effects on our brains, there are two parts of the brain that are impacted the most:
 

• Prefrontal cortex: right behind your forehead, critical for things like decision-making, focus, attention and your personality. 
   

• Temporal lobe/hippocampus: key structure critical for your ability to form and retain new long-term memories for facts and events.

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Short term effects:

• increase levels of neurotransmitters

• improve your reaction times

• better focus and attention

• immediate effects of mood

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Long term​ effects:

• increase your cardiorespiratory function

• bigger and stronger your hippocampus

• decline in aging

• produces brand new brain cells

• increase hippocampus volume 

• improve your long-term memory

• improve coherent and integrated brain function

• prevent dementia or Alzheimer's disease