The idea of “exercising the brain” may conjure thoughts of solving the daily crossword puzzle or playing a round of Sudoku — but, according to neurologist Patrick Hogan, DO, it’s the real, physical exercise that really counts.
Hogan, a Gig Harbor triathlete who practices at Puget Sound Neurology in Tacoma, speaks on the topic of exercise and the brain around the country, often to other healthcare practitioners.
He said that two decades ago, the topic of brain and exercise had scarce information, but in the last few years the knowledge has exploded. “We know now physical exercise is actually medicine for the brain,” he said. “If you own a brain, this is good for you.”
During a presentation last fall at the Gig Harbor Civic Center that was part of Gig Harbor’s Healthy Harbor campaign, he said if exercise were a drug, it would be called “doesitall.” Even physical fitness is the result of conditioning the brain first, and the muscles next. Women, for example, can double their strength before ever seeing any muscle-tone change because the brain learns to use the muscles more efficiently, he said.
Recent studies have shown exercise can improve a variety of conditions, from Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s to ADHD and diabetes. But just like medications, the effectiveness depends on the strength of the doze, frequency, and “compliance with use as directed,” according to Hogan.
The assumption that the brain cannot produce any more cells is no longer correct, he said. The brain can fire new neurons, and the ability to do that is triggered by exercise — not just any exercise, however, but the kind that challenges the brain. For people who are ill, that could mean as little as six minutes of simple exercise, while for those who are fit it could mean a long period of intense activity.
A major role is played by the activation of growth factors “sitting in a dormant state in the body” that get triggered by exercise that the brain sees as strenuous. That includes factors that lead to creation of new brain cells. “All these things we thought were out of control… now we realize we can reprogram our brain, just like you can a computer,” he said.
Another role “doesitall” plays is as an antioxidant, which is essential in promoting stress recovery and has other health benefits. Hogan said the brain is just like muscles, which don’t change during exercise, but in between.
“Changes happen during recovery time… Your body says, ‘That was hard exercise, I must change.’ We need to care for our brain during recovery time,” he said. That means adequate rest, good nutrition and stress control.
Some of the good types of exercise include treadmill, dance, water aerobics and Tai Chi, but the key is to have challenging exercise and to diversify. To improve brain function, there needs to be moderate activity at least three times a week, and preferably as many as six. The definition of “challenging” is still being debated, but he said it’s clear this would not be casual exercise but something the brain would perceive as exerting. Diversity is also important so the body can recover one day from exercise done the day before, for example. The idea is for the brain to have to adapt to a challenge.
The human body was built to be active, and evolution can’t keep up with modern inactive lifestyles with conveniences like remote controls and drive-thru services. He notes troubling statistics about the obesity epidemics, with the numbers of obese population growing every year around the country, and with the prediction that this is the first generation in which children will not live as long as their parents. He is optimistic that can be changed around.
“Fit happens,” he said. “You just have to keep moving.”
Hogan told the Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal that employers are starting to recognize the impact of exercise on their workforce, with some companies adding exercise rooms or offering athletic-club memberships. He said allowing employees to exercise during the day leads to not only fewer sick days but also to increased efficiency and improved moods.
“It doesn’t mean we should abandon medicine,” he said. “…It’s a whole new line of therapy — we have to change the tradition of medicine, because most physicians still think of exercise for the muscles, not the brain… This is a new revolutionary science, with new articles coming out every month.”
