To Your Health
September, 2024 (Vol. 18, Issue 09) |
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Best for the Brain
By Editorial Staff
Cerebral blood flow is an important variable dictating cognitive function: intellectual functions such as thinking, understanding, memory, language, computation, and judgment. That's because the area of the brain known as the cerebrum performs these functions. Arming your child with optimal cognitive function could be as simple as increasing cerebral blood flow with exercise.
Research findings, published in Scientific Reports, suggest children who perform short-duration, light-intensity exercises that increase cerebral blood flow (for example, stretching) are a fantastic way to increase cognitive function. The study involved students from fifth-grade elementary to third-year junior high school, each of whom was taught seven different low-intensity exercises: upward stretch, shoulder stretch, elbow circles, trunk twist, "washing hands," "thumb and pinky," and single-leg balance.
Children performed each exercise for 10-20 seconds. Researchers compared changes in cerebral blood flow at rest and during exercise, noting significant increases in blood flow during all exercises compared to when resting. The researchers emphasize the importance of their findings, stating: "This groundbreaking study represents a significant step forward in combating sedentary lifestyles and activating brain functions in children, thereby supporting their physical and mental growth."
If you have children, there's no better time than now to get them on the road to better mental and physical health. Work with your doctor to create a lifestyle plan that lets them grow up healthy – from head to toe.
