The Effects of Exercise on the Brain

Exercise has been shown to increase neurogenesis--the generation of new nerve cells--in the brain.

Tonight, "The National", Canada's national evening news program featured a story on the effects of exercise on the students in an alternative class in Saskatchewan.

In the story, Dr. John Ratey, author of a book called "Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain" explains how exercise affects the brain, particularly the front parts of the brain that are involved in impulse behaviour.

Exercise, he says, helps preserve nerve cells, makes them stronger, withstand stress, and makes them more pliable. As a result of these changes in the brain, students are able to concentrate and manage their behaviour better.

You can learn more at:

http://www.cbc.ca/national/blog/special_features/brain_gains.html