A Bubblebath for Your Brain

By: Dr. Michael D. Kroft, DC

Almost everyone knows that exercise promotes better health for your mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. Whether the activity involves swimming, biking, recreational sports, running or even just walking, the positive effects of exercise help to build a better, stronger, healthier you. Hard work and exercise shape our bodies into more physically fit and tone shapes visible to others who bother to notice. What about our brains? We cannot visually observe our brains for signs of health or illness so instead we analyze our mental fitness through our emotions, focus and task completing abilities. The better our brains function, the better our emotional control, task focus and problem solving skills become. All in the meanwhile, the stresses of life can “gum up” or “bog down” our brains’ ability to function effectively and properly. When excess stress accumulates in our brains, we need a way to scrub it clean and keep them healthy but how?

When we exercise, our bodies release neurotransmitters that help our central nervous system transmit signals from neuron to neuron. The better our body and brain electrically communicates with itself, the better our overall health becomes physically, mentally and emotionally. Some of the bigger neurotransmitters regulating our system are Serotonin, Noradrenaline, Epinephrine and Dopamine. These molecules make us feel good or bad, energized or tired, motivated or uninspired. Depending on which neurotransmitters and how much of them we are expressing in our brains, too little or too much changes how we feel and behave in that moment. Cardiovascular exercise significantly and nearly instantly modifies the release of ALL of these neurotransmitters and their associated positive effects! 

Athletes and marathon runners often describe sensations of uplifting happiness, positive euphoria, decreased physical pain and decreased mental stress with sustained cardio like running, biking or swimming. This “runners’ high” happens when the brain floods with a “bubblebath” of different neurotransmitters and growth factors naturally produced from metabolic pathways during exercise and movement. The good news is, you don’t have to be a professional marathon runner to enjoy these benefits. You can experience the mental relaxing and uplifting powers of the neurotransmitter “bubblebath” with something as simple as walking!  Studies have proven that simply walking for only a mere 10 minutes can significantly improve your neurotransmitter production and thus, your mood, focus, health and wellbeing the same day! Additionally, exercising longer than 10 minutes only increases the production of these helpful chemicals!

Not only does your brain release a cocktail of healthy neurotransmitters but also an array of molecules called growth factors. Growth factors act as fertilizers for the neuron cells in your brain, especially one called Brain-Derived Neurotropic Factor or BDNF. BDNF acts on the hippocampus structure in your brain in an incredibly positive and beneficial way. The hippocampus structure in the brain deals with short-term & long-term memory, spatial navigation and learning new skills. When our hippocampus weakens so does our memory, sense of direction and plasticity to new skills. BDNF actually stimulates new neuron growth in the hippocampus to create new connections well into our elderly ages! 

In addition to the hippocampus, another powerful structure of our brain called the prefrontal cortex greatly benefits from cardiovascular exercise. The prefrontal cortex regulates our emotions and their expression as well as manages complex cognition and decision making tasks. A strong prefrontal cortex helps us with difficult choices, critical thinking and sustaining focus. The neurotransmitter “bubblebath” from cardio exercise nourishes our prefrontal cortex with neurotransmitters, and thus, improves the long-term sharpness of our minds as we age. 

In the short term, 10 minutes of running enhances our mood and helps to mitigate pain, stress and discomfort in ways no pharmaceutical ever can. That same cardio practiced over the long-term of weeks, months and years will have growth factors fertilizing the garden beds of our brains into bright, robust and resilient gardens of health and happiness into older ages! If there was ever one important reason everyone should be walking or running for 10 minutes a day, the amazing growth and brain-cleaning powers of the neurotransmitter bubblebath is it!