Exercise Builds Brain Cells White Paper

Unique Study Looks at the Positive Impact of Physical Activity on Cognition During Adulthood

Builds

Cells

Exercise

Brain

As we fast-forward to today, our next meal is as easy as spinning through a drive-through or tossing a frozen pizza in an oven. Additionally, modern conveniences — from cars to computers and everything in between — have made our lives easier, significantly reducing the need for us to be active in our day-to-day activities. Unfortunately, inactivity has led to sedentary lifestyles that have in turn led to chronic health conditions that impact our ability to perform at our best. In fact, physical inactivity accounts for approximately 200,000 — or one in every ten deaths each year among the U.S. adult population.1

Wellness & Prevention, Inc., a Johnson and Johnson company, recently published a scientific paper in collaboration with Harvard Medical School that takes a closer look at how physical activity can impact peoples’ ability to process information, effectively learn, retain their memory and actually build brain cells.1

This executive briefing highlights the key insights from this scientific paper. We’ll look at:

• Why and how physical activity improves brain functions, including those needed to excel in the work place

• The benefits of incorporating physical activity into one’s lifestyle

• How organizations can use wellness and prevention programs to help their employees perform at their best

The Science Behind the Scenes: Why Exercise Builds Brain CellsWhile the human species has made revolutionary strides in evolving the world around us, our genetic make-up has remained virtually unchanged. As our lifestyles have transformed into lifestyles of convenience, physical inactivity is taking a toll and contributing to a drastic rise in metabolic diseases. But even more interesting is the fact that physical activity is also closely related to our cognitive health.

Several scientific studies have found that physical activity improves brain function at three core levels:1

• Systems level — increased physical activity promotes higher attention spans, the ability to learn, and improved memory

• Molecular level — increased cognition appears in the forms of synaptic plasticity, which is the brain’s ability to change and adjust, as well as in increased learning and memory capacity.

• Cellular level — increased physical activity actually builds brain cells!

A recent study led by Elodie Bruel-Jungerman, Sabrina Davis, and Serge Laroche found that rats who regularly ran on an exercise wheel stimulated neurogenesis, or the production of new brain cells, and increased synaptic plasticity, which is the brain’s ability to change and adjust to increase one’s ability to learn and to remember things.1 Many of these skills play a significant role in our ability to perform at our best. For more relevant studies and supporting data, please visit www.wellnessandpreventioninc.com/thought-leadership.

Exercise of Any Kind Makes a DifferenceThere’s good news. Multiple studies mentioned within The Positive Impact of Physical Activity on Cognition During Adulthood: A Review of Underlying Mechanisms, Evidence and Recommendations white paper indicate that exercise of any kind for any duration can help improve cognition and performance. Of course, studies also support the idea that the more consistently one exercises, the greater the benefit. Based on several studies examined, research indicates that:

• A single episode of exercise improves immediate brain function

• A short-term program improves brain function and memory beyond the duration of the exercise program

• A long-term program promotes sustained, long-term brain function improvements

Based on The Positive Impact of Physical Activity on Cognition During Adulthood: A Review of Underlying Mechanisms, Evidence and Recommendations, by John J. Ratey and James E. Loehr

We were made to move. Humans have been genetically built to be active. Our ancestors had to hunt for their food, which required great bursts of energy. Once captured, they would have a feast, fast for a time and then go in search for the next meal. A continuous cycle crucial to their survival and ingrained in their everyday existence.

Additionally, people who exercise in young and middle adulthood will likely see lasting positive effects. The largest study done in this area included a population-based analysis of all Swedish men born from 1950 to 1976 who enlisted for military services at 18 years of age. This population represented almost 97% of the male Swedish population who was born from 1950 to 1976. The study measured cardiovascular health with cycling and cognitive health through a combination of four tests — a logical performance test, a verbal test of synonyms and opposites, a geometric perception test, and a technical/mathematical skills test. Interestingly, the study showed a significant association between general cognitive ability and physical performance in all of the areas tested. Researchers also found that cardiovascular fitness at 18 years of age also predicted likely educational attainment and socioeconomic status later in life.

Incorporating Exercise Into Our Daily LivesWe know that exercise is good for us, and now studies tell us that it even improves our ability to learn, remember, multi-task, think, and create more brain cells. All of these activities help boost overall work performance.

So, how much exercise should a person incorporate into their daily routines? The American College of Sports & Medicine and the American Heart Association recommends the following guidelines:

“All healthy adults aged 18 – 65 years should partake in a minimum of 150 minutes per week (or 30 minutes for 5 days) of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity as well as at least least two days per week of muscle-strengthening activities that work the major muscle groups.”

Experts suggest that even small changes can make a big impact:1

• Get up and walk or move during every hour, even for just a few minutes

• Install innovative office equipment at work such as treadmill workstations or hold meetings while walking

Workplace Wellness ProgramsA key ingredient in helping employees increase physical activity

Employees spend a majority of their time at work, and the culture within their workplace can have a significant influence on peoples’ behaviors. A growing body of evidence suggests that promoting exercise and movement in the workplace has a significant positive effect on worker health and productivity. And the corporate environment is well suited to build programs that help employees.

1. First, companies can raise awareness about why physical activity is so important through tailored communications using email, meetings and online programs to promote exercise programs at the workplace.

2. Companies can also build meaningful incentives and rewards into programs to promote participation.

3. Perhaps most importantly, senior leaders can establish activity as an integral part of their culture by investing in a Culture of Health whereby taking the time to exercise and move throughout the day is rewarded rather than reprimanded.

When worksite wellness programs are incorporated effectively, the results speak for themselves:

• Improved employee health and satisfaction

• Meaningful, lasting benefits on brain function, cognition, memory and reduced risk for dementia

• Increased financial returns – to the tune of an ROI for about $2.73 for every dollar spent for absentee costs (Source: Health Affairs, 2010)

The evidence is clear, it pays in more ways than one to invest in physical activity within your work environment. Not only will your organization have happier, healthier employees who are more productive; you’ll also build brain cells!

Couch Potato StudyA study published in Science in 2005 analyzed 20 self-professed “couch potatoes”, of which 10 were lean and 10 were mildly obese. Levine and his colleagues recorded participants’ movement and body positions every half-second for 10 days. The obese participants were seated an average of 2 hours longer per day!

Source: Science 2005; 307:584-6 Interindividual Variation in Posture Allocation: Possible Role in Human Obesity, James A. Levine, Lorraine M. Lanningham-Foster, Shelly K. McCrady, Alisa C. Krizan, Leslie R. Olson, Paul H. Kane, Michael D. Jensen, Matthew M. Clark, Science 28 January 2005

Source1 The Positive Impact of Physical Activity on Cognition During Adulthood: A Review of Underlying Mechanisms, Evidence, and

Recommendations, John J. Ratey, James E. Loehr, April 2011

For more data and studies that support the findings highlighted in this briefing, be sure to download the detailed study at www.wellnessandpreventioninc.com/thought-leadership.

If you’d like to discuss how your organization can implement programs that ignite healthy lifestyle and performance within

your workforce, contact us today.

(855) 206-3815 wellnessandpreventioninc.com

© Wellness & Prevention, Inc. 2012 | Ft. Washington PA, USA. All rights reserved.