Does Physical Exercise Benefit the Brain?
Please see Dr. Sterling’s answer to a reader who wrote to him asking if there is any clear proof of how physical exercise benefits the brain. Dear Dr. Ron: I read a recent column about depression and it got me thinking and doing a little research. I keep reading that exercise benefits the brain and I found several articles on the subject, but nothing that tells me how it really works. I think everyone knows that there is an “uplifting feeling” that a person gets from exercise, but is there anything else? Signed — Curious in Kent Dear Curious: Thank you for writing! My answer is going to be a little more about the brain than about the mind. As you know, the mind depends on the brain, so you can’t really feel good unless the brain is functioning well. What follows is very simplified, but true. After you read this column you will be able to impress your friends with at least three big words. Those words are corticotropin releasing factor (CRF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a
