Regular physical exercise keeps you mentally strong. Researchers recommend clocking at least twenty minutes a day, but thirty minutes to one hour daily is better. Aerobic exercise such as running or swimming helps get the blood coursing through your system, carrying oxygen and glucose to your brain—two substances your brain can’t do without. Regular exercise also can prod the brain to make more molecules that help protect and produce neurons. Though studies are still underway to establish the link between exercise and increased brain neurons, many researchers—including those involved with Alzheimer’s disease research—are studying the protective effects of regular physical exercise on the brain’s neural paths for transmitting signals. According to the US Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, physical activity guidelines suggest that 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week can lower the risk of premature death, coronary heart disease, stroke, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and depression.
Beyond the physical benefits, exercise offers emotional benefits. It increases self-esteem and confidence, which makes you stand up straighter and look the rest of the world squarely in the eye.