Exercise

There is a scientific reason as to why our bodies feel so good when we exercise. When we move our bodies, our brain releases a hormone called dopamine, or the “feel-good” hormone.

Our brains work just as our muscles do: growing with use and withering with inactivity. The brain has the capacity to regenerate and grow throughout our entire lifespan. With exercise and neurofeedback, you create the most compelling way to ensure your brain’s continued growth and rejuvenation.

Children and adolescents need at least:

• 1 hour or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity on most or all days.

• Participate in several bouts of physical activity of 15 minutes or more each day.

• Avoid periods of inactivity of 2 hours or more unless sleeping.

Adults need at least:

• 2.5 hours of moderate-intensity aerobic activity (i.e., brisk walking) every week OR

• 1 hour and 15 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity (e.g. jogging or running) every week. AND

• Muscle-strengthening activities on 2 or more days a week that work all major muscle groups (legs, hips, back, abdomen, chest, shoulders, and arms).

Exercise and The Brain

Exercise can provide immediate relief for symptoms associated with stress – most notably, the physical and emotional symptoms. Exercise increases oxygen to the brain and has been shown to promote a healthy blood pressure. Aerobic exercise has been shown to contribute to lowering anxiety and promoting growth of the hippocampus.

How different exercises impact the brain and performance.

Sports Drills

Prefrontal Cortex & Basal Ganglia Attention, switching between tasks, inhibition
Parietal Lobe
Visual-spatial processing
Cerebellum
Attention 

High-Intensity Intervals

Hypothalamus
Appetite regulation, cravings
and addiction

Lifting Weights

Prefrontal cortex
Complex thinking, reasoning, problem solving

Aerobic Exercise

Hippocampus
Memory and learning

Yoga

Frontal Lobe & Insula Integrates thoughts and emotions
Amygdala
Regulates fear and anxiety 

Workout: Anytime, Anywhere
Below are some examples of bodyweight exercises that don’t require any equipment. If you’re not sure what they are, examples of all of these movements can be found on YouTube. Try to include one or two movements from each category and create a workout. Feel free to get creative and challenge yourself!

Full Body:

Inchworm Inchworm Push-Ups Tuck Jumps
Bear Crawl Mountain Climbers Prone Walkout Burpees
Planks
Plank to Push-Up

Core:

Flutter Kicks Side Plank Russian Twists Bicycle Crunches Sit-Ups Shoulder Bridge

Legs:

Wall Sit
Lunges
Lunge Jumps Pistol Squats Squats
Single-Leg Deadlift Frog Jumps
Step-Up
Calf Raises Supermans

Shoulders/Arms:

Tricep Dips
Push-Ups
Diamond Push-Ups Arm Circles