Your Brain on Exercise

This just in ... the next fitness sesh you have on tap will do more than hit muscles -- it strengthens your mind too! Even on much-needed rest days, everyday activities that offer intense movement, like raking leaves, will help you fire on all cylinders.

Memory Bolster

When you exercise (anything from rowing to yoga) your muscles secrete irisin, a brain-protecting hormone. Higher levels of this chemical improve cognitive function and protect against neuroinflammation, according to research in Nature Metabolism. The theory? Irisin could be a treatment for brain diseases like Alzheimer's. Still too early to tell, however who couldn't use a little memory boost, nowadays?

Anxiety Buster

If your feeling antsy, take it out on something heavy. Lifting weights twice a week significantly lowered anxiety levels in young adults, per a new study in Scientific Reports. Us this the next time you need motivation to go for that extra rep: The more participants trained, the less they stressed. Kettlebell infused bliss, here you come!

Happiness Booster

An (almost) instant cure for meh moments: Sweat! It really does change everything. Just 10 minutes of cardio with 5 minutes of recovery increases dopamine production and activates proteins that excite synapses, helping your brain remember more info.

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