Undoubtedly, physical exercise brings great benefits to your health, although you must be aware of the type and duration with which you train to achieve your goals.
There is research that suggests that routines with strong training in short periods of time can have a positive effect on both your physical appearance and the neuroplasticity of the brain. In fact, if you combine any type of exercise with intense routine you can get a double gain: a rapid improvement in body appearance, as well as positive changes in the brain.
Find out why HIIT can improve your body and mind .
What does neuroplasticity mean?
Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to adapt and change, according to the behavior and experience of the individual. The more plasticity your brain has, the more easily you can acquire new skills and learn things.
Contrary to what is believed, it has been shown that physical exercise is also essential to increase the plasticity of the brain (Hötting and Röder, 2013). However, more research is needed to determine what types of exercises are best suited.
Does any kind of exercise help the brain?
It is not a secret that each exercise is special to work a part of the body. For example, bicep curls help build the muscles in your arms.
Research suggests that aerobics are the most suitable exercises to improve brain power. These help strengthen neuroplasticity, learning, and memory. They also allow the brain to recover from injuries caused by strokes (Mellow, Goldsworthy, Coussens & Smith, 2020).
Although experts recommend that, when doing aerobic exercises, they be practiced moderately in small intervals, exaggerated training can cause the opposite effect. That is, a negative effect that increases cortisol levels that are commonly associated with stress.
Cortisol can block the response of neuroplasticity, so the effective way to train is to do high intensity exercises in small intervals of time.
Why does HIIT improve your body and mind?
Although there is still much to be investigated, the HIIT method appears to be promising. HIIT training consists of burning more calories in small time intervals (Falcone et al., 2015). This allows you to accelerate weight loss and if combined with aerobic exercises, it will not only improve your physical appearance, but it will also benefit your brain.
Aerobic exercises combined with HIIT training are perfect for people who exercise continuously. However, for those who do not go to the gym regularly, it is recommended to mix high intensity exercises with periods of rest.
An example could be doing 2 minute intense training routines with one minute rest, repeating the cycle until you have completed 20 to 30 minutes of practice. Consult with your personal trainer to suggest the appropriate time intervals for you.
References
- Falcone, PH, Tai, CY, Carson, LR, Joy, JM, Mosman, MM, McCann, TR,…, Moon, JR (2015). Caloric expenditure of aerobic, resistance, or combined high-intensity interval training using a hydraulic resistance system in healthy men. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research . doi: 10.1519 / JSC.0000000000000661
- Hötting, K. and Röder, B. (2013). Beneficial effects of physical exercise on neuroplasticity and cognition. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews . doi: 10.1016 / j.neubiorev.2013.04.005
- Mellow, M. L, Goldsworthy, M. R, Coussens, S. and Smith, AE (2020). Acute aerobic exercise and neuroplasticity of the motor cortex: A systematic review. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport . doi: 10.1016 / j.jsams.2019.10.015
