Toned thighs? Bigger biceps? Faster PRs? Nah. The best reason to exercise is to change your brain. Read on to learn more.
Why do you exercise?
Are you motivated by weight loss? Or, toning your thighs? Or, are you feeling the pressure to drop the pregnancy weight? Do you enjoy the competition? Are you looking to hit your PR or max? Did your doctor recommend it?
While we are motivated to exercise for so many different reasons, I think we’ve lost sight of one of the most central reasons why exercise matters.
Your brain.
When you exercise, the blood flow produced by greater physical exertion has the capacity to change the architecture of your brain. This is called “neuroplasticity.”
According to Frontiers in Psychology, neuroplasticity “can be viewed as a general umbrella term that refers to the brain’s ability to modify, change, and adapt both structure and function throughout life and in response to experience.”
When you exercise consistently, you can create an experience where neuroplasticity can occur.
Neuroplasticity matters because you have experienced bad news.
Why Neuroplasticity Matters
Neuroplasticity matters because you have experienced bad news. That bad news doesn’t just stay in your brain, but it affects your whole body. But, the fact that your brain can change means that you don’t have to stay stuck in patterns that keep you from the abundant life God has called you.
According to the article, “Exercise benefits brain function: The monamine connection, in Brain Sciences, “there are multiple mechanisms that account for the brain-enhancing effects of exercise, including neuroinflammation, vascularization, antioxidation, energy adaptation, and regulations on neurotrophic factors and neurotransmitters. Dopamine (DA), noradrenaline (NE), and serotonin (5-HT) are the three major monoamine neurotransmitters that are known to be modulated by exercise.”
The release of dopamine, serotonin, and noradrenaline during exercise can cause you to crave good, feel good, and want to do good.
As Dr. Caroline Leaf summarizes in a podcast interview with Dr. Kelly Mcgonigal, “Essentially, physical activity makes us more resilient; it doesn’t just give us a quick dopamine rush and then that is it. Physical activity trains the brain to enjoy all the good things in life, such as a long walk in the park, a meal with friends or a beautiful sunset!”
However, the keyword here is to train the body to enjoy the good.
If you have experienced trauma, broken relationships, addiction (and who hasn’t), and your first instinct is to self-protect, hide, or continue doing the thing that causes you harm, your brain needs to be retrained to go in a new direction.
This is is where neuroplasticity and the Holy Spirit can take your workout from just being about gaining muscle to actually growing your mind in the love and peace of Christ.
Go for a walk. Get back to the place of worship. Ask God to renew your mind as you move.
Your brain needs to be retrained to go in a new direction.
Resources:
Lin, Tzu-Wei, and Yu-Min Kuo. “Exercise benefits brain function: the monoamine connection.” Brain sciences vol. 3,1 39-53. 11 Jan. 2013, doi:10.3390/brainsci3010039
Leaf, Caroline. “How to Correctly Use Movement and Exercise to Defeat Depression and Loneliness, Reduce Worry, and Eliminate Anxiety with Dr. Kelly Mcgonigal” 16 March 2020.
Rather Hear This Article?
The information from this article was derived from the Revelation Wellness Podcast Episode 568.
Alisa Keeton is the founder and CEO of Revelation Wellness and the author of The Body Revelation. A 25+ year fitness professional, she believes that the Gospel is a wholistic message of heart, mind, soul, and strength, and each body holds a story that must be told. It is then that healing, health, and wholeness can truly begin.
Do you feel like your body is a problem to solve?
Don’t let the bad things that happened to you rip you off from the good that God has for you! The Body Revelation will take you from feeling stuck in your body to living wholeheartedly.
