I keep seeing a lot of studies suggesting that regular exercise, and in particular cardiovascular exercise such as running, have as much benefit on the brain, protecting against depression and anxiety, as they do fighting cardiovascular disease.
A recent issue of ACE’s “Fitness Matters” featured an article titled “This Is Your Brain On Exercise” by Jim Gerard, they talk about this affect…
”People who exercise more have a lower risk of developing depression and anxiety. Brain imaging techniques show that when we’re exercising, parts of our brains are consuming more oxygen and are more metabolically active.
In Fact, the shield that exercise puts up against depression and anxiety is just as strong as its long-renowned protection against cardiovascular disease. Studies suggest that people who exercise regularly and have a stroke later in life might suffer less damage because they’re able to utilize cellular stress proteins developed from exercising.”