Your Brain on Movement & Muscle!
- Janice Cunningham
- Aug 2
- 3 min read
Updated: Aug 17
A Cognition Prescription
Bigger - Faster - Sharper - Happier! That's your brain on movement and muscle!
If there is one Rx the experts can agree upon it's this - Keep moving and feed your muscle: Protect it. Grow it. Tone it. Your brain (and body) will thank you.
Leading experts also agree... There is no age limit for the benefits and no marathon, gym or money required! Want to start at 80? Go for it!
We all know exercise (aka Movement) is good for us - Oxygen for the brain plus heart, frailty, and fall protective. Here we profile three more high-impact pathways - areas needing a more care and attention as our body changes over time.
#1 The BDNF Brain Bath
Effortful movement triggers the release of BDNF (Brain-derived Neurotrophic Factor)
Why care?
BDNF maintains and builds synaptic connections between neurons,
Strengthens white matter tracks (axons) that connect various parts of the brain, and
Triggers neurogenesis (new neuron formation) in the hippocampus - the primary brain region for short term memory and its conversion to long term memory and learning.
Fun Fact: The hippocampus is one of the few brain regions capable of neurogenesis (the growth of new neurons) in adult brains.
Net effect More BDNF → larger hippocampus → better memory, cognitive performance and mood.
The Trick Push your personal limits enough to feel the effort. Go for a brisk walk - not a stroll!
#2 Waste & Bad-Actor Removal - Mitochondrial Mitophagy
Mitochondria is the energy life-source of every cell in our body and mind! Mitophagy cleans up problematic damaged mitochondria and replaces them with more new, more efficient ones. Removing damaged Mitochondria helps reduce risk of neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and metabolic dysfunction.
The Prescription Effortful movement to trigger oxidative stress and energy demands which in turn trigger the mitophagy process.
The aging challenge Our ability to replicate healthy mitochondria declines with age. They become needier, requiring a few more intentional behavior choices to remain efficient and plentiful.
Net Effect As mitochondria become fewer and less efficient with age, so does cognitive function. Movement at any age reverses this decline!
The trick Do what you can. Its all relative - pushing your personal boundaries one step at a time matters more than absolute capability!
What about intermittent fasting? Fasting windows can trigger mitophagy, but we have much yet to learn about the possible sarcopenia risk - loss of muscle mass and functionality - through regular long fasting windows as we get older.
#3 Immune System Troops for Managing Inflammation
Both muscle contraction (movement) and our muscle mass strengthen immune function. They build glucose (glycogen) reserves we need to combat acute situations - like an infection - while lowering chronic inflammation from an overactive immune system.
How it works: Effortful movement and lean muscle mass reduce oxidative processes that damage cells in both our body and brain. They also improve insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism to quiet the fire of chronic inflammation - believed to be at the of Type 2 diabetes, many cancers, dementia and common chronic conditions.
The Glucose Sponge Effect Skeletal muscle (leg muscle in particular) soaks up glucose creating an energy reserve to supply brain and body needs when stressed. This mechanism also improves insulin sensitivity and glucose metabolism by taking glucose out of blood circulation.
Signaling and molecule release Muscle acts as an endocrine organ, storing signaling proteins during contraction. This supports our immune system's ability to fight infection and insults to our body while also reducing chronic inflammation.
Example A 10-20 minute brisk walk after eating drops blood glucose spikes by roughly 30% on average - your leg muscles-in-motion soak it up.
Net effect High-glucose producing meals will have a lower impact on inflammation and insulin resistance - both harmful to the brain. Resulting increase in lean muscle translates to bigger reserve tanks for our immune system to leverage.
The trick As above, do what you can do on a regular basis. It's all relative.
Recap
As our bodies change, we have the need and opportunity to support...
Brain size and function through BDNF stimulation.
Mitophagy for increasing total healthy mitochondria while removing damaging ones.
Immune system function while reducing chronic inflammation.
These mechanisms help us do so by...
Building brain and muscle reserves.
Reversing muscle and brain function loss.
Growing new brain cells.
Fortifying the brain connections we do have!
Do what you can and build from there. The biggest new benefits come to those with the most room to grow!
Now What?
To learn more and get actionable specifics to trigger these pathways, we suggest: exploring the Playbook Movement Portal for
links to expert resources - Quick Bytes to Deep Dives.
our our sign up to receive update alerts for our new posts with examples of actionable steps to activate these pathways.
Wishing you well,
Janice
