Mental and Physical Activity Keeps You Feeling Young

More exciting news surfaced this week about the benefits of regular physical activity and a healthy brain. Newsweek and Parade Magazine had articles touting the host of health benefits in people who are more physically active. One of the more recent findings focuses on brain cell growth. For many years, scientists believed that all the cells in your body, except for the brain, could regenerate. A recent study, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, showed for the first time that humans have the capability to grow new brain cells. How did they do it? Physical activity...  After exercising for three months, all the study participants appeared to sprout new brain cells. 

Interrupting the Long Slow Decline
Until now, the general view of aging has been a slow decline of our brains and bodies until we died. It was also thought that as we grew older, our failing abilities were a result of a natural slowdown of the cellular processes and an inability to make new cells. In other words, as you got older, the best you could hope for was a failing body and brain to match. Now, a much more optimistic possibility is being explored... maybe loss of function formerly attributed to the aging process has more to do with how much we use our abilities and less to do with our age. 

Training the Brain and the Body
Growing older doesn't have to involve "dry rot" as the article in Parade Magazine put it. Following a balanced physical and mental health activities program gives you the most bang for the buck. We have previously talked about Mental Fitness; the process of training, developing, strengthening and balancing your mind in conjunction with your muscles. Certain activities like ping pong and tennis, that require physical and mental process combined, appear to be some of the best. The cells in your body sense the difference in activity and thought patterns and respond accordingly. Activities that allow you to have fun, be physically active while having to keep score seem to have what is called a "high stimulation function."

Putting it All Together
Improving your health is both an active as well as passive process. Dedicating time to the reinforcing benefits of physical and mental health will help you live a long and healthy life. The passive part includes spending time in meditation and social relaxation activities promoting a healthy outlook... one of hope and optimism. Your body responds by adjusting its physiology to match your thought patterns. Hormones balance themselves and your body runs the way it was designed... smoothly. 

Now, include regular physical activities that you enjoy. Again, the health improvement process is a process and you want to have fun. Activity also needs to be social. Finding people to enjoy this "healthy time" with is also good for you. So maybe it will be dancing classes, tennis, group exercise or a hiking group. The key to better health is to choose physical activities you enjoy and people to enjoy them with you. Better health in isolation is difficult to achieve even for the most dedicated. 

Don't Forget to Mind the Mind
Daily thoughts create an image that the mind holds as a template for all of your bodily processes. Worrying, being angry and feeling out of control all of the time leaves your body depressed, your stomach upset and your head hurting. Take charge of your mind and work on making 80% or more of your thoughts positive. That way you will constantly be sending healthy signals to your body and improving your health.

To read more of the Newsweek article go to www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17662246/site/newsweek