Study shows exercising your legs is very beneficial for your brain

How regularly do you exercise?

We all know that regular exercise is good for us. It keeps us fit and healthy, and stops us putting on weight after eating 10 doughnuts. However, what many people may not know is that exercising is also great for another part of our bodies - our brains. A new study has found that when movement is restricted - especially in the legs - the chemistry in your brain is effected. Dr. Raffaella Adami from the Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy, who conducted the study said:

“Our study supports the notion that people who are unable to do load-bearing exercises — such as patients who are bed-ridden, or even astronauts on extended travel — not only lose muscle mass, but their body chemistry is altered at the cellular level and even their nervous system is adversely impacted."

It found that when we use our large leg muscles, they send signals to the brain telling it to produce neural cells, which are vital for a healthy brain and nervous system. If we don't use them, or are restricted from using them, it can be difficult to produce enough of these cells to keep the brain and nervous system functioning normally. So there you go, if you want a healthy brain, start working those legs out.