1) Exercise increases levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine that are important for brain function. 2) Physical activity promotes neurogenesis, the growth of new brain cells, by elevating brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which strengthens synaptic connections in the brain. 3) Regular exercise improves cognitive performance and mental health by optimizing brain chemistry and enhancing plasticity.

1. Exercise the Brain

2. I do believe in you And I know you believe in me Oh yeah Oh yeah
And now we realize love's not all that it's supposed to be Oh yeah Oh yeah

4. What are your ideas about exercise and the
brain?
It makes our brain function at its best. This is
the most important benefit of exercise, the
benefit to muscles, heart, and lungs are just
healthy side-effects of exercise.
Why is exercise so good for the brain?

5. We know that exercise increases neurotransmitters
like serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.
In a Duke University
study it was shown that
exercise was better than
Zoloft (sertraline) at
treating depression and
other subsequent
studies have shown that
exercise may be one of
the best treatments for
most psychiatric
problems. WHY?

7. Sea Squirt Larva have brain,
it is consumed once it becomes sessile.

8. As we evolved, our physical skills developed into
abstract abilities to
predict, sequence, estimate, plan, rehearse, observ
e, judge, correct mistakes, shift tactics, and
remember everything we did in order to survive.

9. “That which we call thinking is the evolutionary
internalization of movement.”
Neurophysiologist, Rodolfo Llinas

10. The relationship between the ability to obtain
food, shelter, comfort, and the physical ability to obtain them
through learning that has been hardwired into the brain’s
circuitry.
In order to survive we had to use our brains to find and store
food. We needed fuel to learn and learning to find a source of
fuel. We needed to move! On average 11 km per day!
How about today?

12. 1/3 of the U.S. population by 2050 will
have a preventable health issue.
65% adults
in our
nation are
overweight
10% have
type 2
diabetes.

13. Preventable health issues due to lack
of exercise are becoming increasing
more frequent in children.

14. Nationally we are cutting back on P.E.
Illinois only state requiring P.E. on a daily basis.
In school 5.5 hours of screen time per day per
student.
No or reduced recess for elementary education.
Our lack of movement is reflected in what
we value in education.

15. Naperville School District
Case Study:
School district one of the
fittest in the nation
3% overweight vs. 30%
(national average)
TIMSS (trends in Math and
Science Study) tested out 6th
in Math and 1st in Science.
Why?

16. Fitness vs. Sports P. E.
Only 3% of students go on to be active in sports after high
school.
Jr. High Teacher Phil Larson revolutionizes P.E. with fitness vs.
Sports Program. Emphasizes personal best and assesses effort

17. Small scale sports ex. 3 on 3 basket ball, 4 on 4
soccer with the goal of movement.
Graded on how much time student spent in target
heart rate zone.

18. Early bird P.E. (called learning readiness P.E.)
Incoming freshman assigned to reading comprehension
literacy class have the option of taking learning
readiness P.E.
17% improvement in reading comprehension for L.R.
P.E. students vs. 10.7% for students not in L.R.P.E.

20. No fist fights in 550 jr. high kids since 2000.
Kansas City Mo. P.E. went from once a week to
once a day and violent incidences went from 228
in one year to 95. in another inner city school
discipline problems dropped 67%

21. Plasticity:
The brain is
designed so that it
can change!
The environment
creates the impetus
for change.
What is your
environment?
What are your
experiences?
When we learn we
change our brains.
The neuron allows
us to do this.

22. Neurons by themselves are not very powerful.
Neural networks- many neurons create
communication lines between them in order to
create perceptions and learn new things as we
“experience” life
Communication between neurons requires the
molecules that move between them, what are
they?
Neurotransmitters.

23. The Neuron:

24. 80% of the signals in the brain rely on two main
neurotransmitters:
Glutamate, which stirs up the activity and begins
the cascade
GABA, which locks the brain activity down.
These two neurotransmitters begin the chemical
sequence of brain activity that regulates all of our
behavior. In many cases they stimulate the release
of many other neurotransmitters.
Neurotransmitter Cascade

25. Regulatory neurotransmitters such as
serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.
Only 1% of the neurons produce these
neurotransmitters.
They instruct other neurons to make more
glutamate, alter the sensitivity of neuron
dendrites, and signal other neurons to fire.
Fine tune the balance of the brain’s chemicals.

26. Brain Chemicals
These are called “Factors”
Most commonly called brain
derived neurotrophic factors
(BDNF.)
They are a class of proteins.
Build and maintain cell circuitry
infrastructure.
The best way to think of them
is as fertilizer for the brain.

27. In the 1990’s ~ one dozen or so scientific
studies done on them.
Explosion of neuroscience research after 2000.
5400 papers/studies done as of 2007.
Why?
Turns out there pretty darn important to the
brain, its overall health and learning.

28. Learning requires
strengthening the
relationship
(affinity) between
neurons through a
dynamic
mechanism called
long term
potentiation.
Building strong
synapses between
the neurons makes
it easier for
signaling/firing
between them.

29. Glutamate (a neurotransmitter) is sent from one
neuron across the synapse to the dendrites of
another. If there are repeated firings, the genes
inside the receiving neuron are turned on to
produce building materials for the synapse to allow
it to become permanently more receptive. The
memory sticks!

30. If you learn a new word each
day and never practice it the
attraction between synapses
diminishes and you forget it.
Repeated
activation/stimulation
comes with practice.
This causes the synapse to
swell actually growing more
brain.
So where does exercise
come in?

31. EXERCISE ELEVATES BDNF!

32. If you sprinkle
BDNF on neurons
in a petri-dish, the
cells automatically
sprouted new
branches
(synapses.)

33. BDNF binds receptors at the synapse
Activates genes that call for more
BDNF, serotonin, and proteins that
build synapse
BDNF builds & strengthens the
neuron protecting against cell death

34. U of Cal Irvine: Carl
Cotman director for
brain aging used
rats on a running
wheel. (They were
not forced to
participate!)control
vs. 2, 4, and 7 nights
of running a week.
Their BDNF went up
relative to the amt.
exercised.
Their hippocampus
lit up w/BDNF.

35. Neurogenesis:
The birth of new neurons throughout our life is a
relatively new idea in neuroscience.
BDNF are great but not just by themselves
Need something to respond to.
Challenge yourself and learn something after
exercise.
Environmental enrichment study on rats, by Dr.
William Greenough from U. of I. (video)

36. Pharmaceutical companies dream of finding the
chemical pathway to induce neurogenesis. They
want to put exercise into a bottle.
Consider the implications?
Not just BDNF but a host of other hormones and
chemicals that stimulate both neuron growth and
development but also glial cell growth.

37. You can’t actually learn very well while exercising
at a high intensity. (blood is move away from the
prefrontal cortex.)
But blood flow returns immediately after
exercise.
Find exercise that you like to do where heart rate
is increased significantly. (30+minutes.)
Running, swimming, biking.
Mix in exercise that involves coordination:
tennis, racquetball, balance
drills, yoga, dance, skating, karate.

39. Increases alertness, attention, and
motivation
Prepares and encourages nerve
cells to bind to one another-
allowing logging of new
information.
Spawns the development of new
nerve cells form stem cells in the
hippocampus.
Protects the cells from aging
prematurely and death.
Reduction of the effects of stress
and anxiety
Relief from depression.
Improved concentration and
performance from people
diagnosed with ADHD.
Eases addiction tendencies
Slows down hormonal changes
Slows down the aging process

40. “In order for man to
succeed in life, God
provided him with 2
means education and
physical activity. Not
separately, one for
the soul and one for
the body, but for the
2 together. With
these 2 means, man
can attain
perfection.” PLATO