Tag: exercise
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Walk This Way: Personality Traits That Predict Fitness Success
Everyone knows that consistent physical exercise is vital to a healthy body and mind, but “less than a quarter of US adults reach the nationally recommended amount of regular exercise” (p. 1). An expanding body of research continues to investigate why people fail to consistently exercise. Many interventions attempt to induce behavior change and increase…
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Elevating Child and Adolescent Mental Well-Being Through Movement
Connections between exercise and healthy psychological functioning are abundant in research on adults and the elderly. As a lifestyle choice, people who choose to exercise can’t go wrong! There is accumulating evidence that exercise can be equally beneficial for adolescents with mental disorders such as depression. What about the role of exercise in promoting overall…
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Effects of Exercise Type and Intensity on Neuroplasticity
The health benefits of exercise have been well-established in many current studies, and people of all ages are encouraged to “chronically” exercise. These benefits can apply not only to cardiovascular, strength, and overall physical health but also to brain health. Neuroplasticity, or brain plasticity, is important to learning and growth and our brains are most…
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Maximize Brain Power and Memory with Aerobic Exercise
Two previous posts have reviewed studies of the beneficial effects of exercise for depressed adults and adolescents. New research shows that aerobic exercise may even reverse memory loss in the aging brain. The hippocampus, located in the brain’s temporal lobe, is associated with memory. It is instrumental in storing long-term memories. As we age, the…
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Can You Exercise Your Way Out of Depression?
When a person becomes clinically depressed, the typical treatment is to prescribe anti-depressants to provide short-term symptom relief and to enroll the patient in psychotherapy to address the underlying issues that cause depression. However, prescribed medications can have unpleasant side effects, and psychotherapy can be expensive and takes time to get results. For these reasons,…