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But there’s more…. The benefits of exercise on brain function
are not limited to the hippocampus. There is also strong evidence in
humans that exercise improves the functions of your prefrontal cortex --
the part of your brain that sits right behind your eyeballs. Your
prefrontal cortex is involved in “executive functions” that include
attention, working memory (keeping things in mind), and mental
flexibility. If that wasn’t enough, we also know that exercise is a
great mood booster. In one study it was shown that exercise could be as
effective as a commonly used anti-depressant at improving symptoms of
major depressive disorder. Clearly exercise packs a mean punch.
What does meditation bring to this smackdown? Fewer studies have been done on the effects of meditation on brain functions, but the published studies are promising. As I mentioned in my last post, a study that helped galvanize the interest on the brain effects of meditation was done in a population of Tibetan monks who had accumulated between 10,000 and 50,000 hours of meditation practice. This study showed that the patterns of electrical activity in their brains were amazingly synchronized during meditation relative to the brains of control subjects who had only a few weeks of meditation experience. This finding provided a striking example showing that long-term meditation practice could dramatically change the patterns of electrical activity in the brain. Other studies have uncovered additional striking effects of meditation on brain function.
For example, one study reported that meditation practice could increase the size of various brain structures including brain areas involved in sustained attention and emotional regulation. Similarly, another study showed expert meditators exhibited significantly larger activation in areas important for sustained attention relative to novice meditators. There is some evidence that that the network of prefrontal cortical structures involved in sustained attention that are enhanced by meditation may be distinct from those enhanced by exercise. Like exercise, meditation also has a significant positive effect on mood.
for more information regarding techniques and tips of exercising download this pdf e-book
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We’ve all read the flood of articles singing the praises of
the positive effects of physical exercise and meditation on brain
functions. You see them all the time. But did you ever wonder if
exercise and meditation were doing the same things to your brain? Did
you ever wonder which one was actually better for your brain? Today, I’m
going to try to answer that question by pitting the raw physical power
of exercise against the steely calm of meditation in a head to head, no
holds barred, no stone left unturned good ol’ fashioned smackdown. The
battle? Which one is better for your brain. Will it be a TKO or a fight
to the finish? The answers may surprise you.
Download[E-book]
Download[E-book]
What does meditation bring to this smackdown? Fewer studies have been done on the effects of meditation on brain functions, but the published studies are promising. As I mentioned in my last post, a study that helped galvanize the interest on the brain effects of meditation was done in a population of Tibetan monks who had accumulated between 10,000 and 50,000 hours of meditation practice. This study showed that the patterns of electrical activity in their brains were amazingly synchronized during meditation relative to the brains of control subjects who had only a few weeks of meditation experience. This finding provided a striking example showing that long-term meditation practice could dramatically change the patterns of electrical activity in the brain. Other studies have uncovered additional striking effects of meditation on brain function.
For example, one study reported that meditation practice could increase the size of various brain structures including brain areas involved in sustained attention and emotional regulation. Similarly, another study showed expert meditators exhibited significantly larger activation in areas important for sustained attention relative to novice meditators. There is some evidence that that the network of prefrontal cortical structures involved in sustained attention that are enhanced by meditation may be distinct from those enhanced by exercise. Like exercise, meditation also has a significant positive effect on mood.
for more information regarding techniques and tips of exercising download this pdf e-book
Download[E-book]