10.6 Physical Activity and Nervous System Health
We are constantly told that exercise and regular movement are beneficial for many facets of our physical health, whether it’s the cardiovascular system, the respiratory system, the musculoskeletal system, or the metabolic system, to name a few. However, it is less often that we are informed of the benefits of exercise on our nervous system.
Brain health is a comprehensive metric that encompasses many of the attributes previously discussed in this chapter (cognitive function, mental health, and neural efficiency). The chart below highlights the benefits of acute and chronic exercise on brain health.
| Acute Exercise (Single Bout) |
Chronic Exercise (Repeated Exercise for Weeks) |
|---|---|
|
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Exercise and Neurodegenerative Disease
The health of the nervous system is also extremely important in its association with longevity. In his bestselling book Outlive: The Science & Art of Longevity, Dr. Peter Attia highlights neurodegenerative disease (i.e., Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s) as one of four main chronic diseases that significantly contribute to mortality and health (Attia & Gifford, 2023). Neurodegenerative diseases are those associated with an overall decline in cognitive ability (see Chapter 10.5 for factors of cognition) that is severe enough to impact daily living. This can lead to confusion, mood swings, and difficulty with daily tasks such as speaking, movement, and facial recognition. Here is a comparison between Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s and how they impact the body:
| Alzheimer’s | Parkinson’s |
|---|---|
| “Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia, a brain disorder that slowly destroys a person’s memory and thinking skills. It is characterized by a loss of cognitive functioning – thinking, remembering, and reasoning – and behavioural abilities to such an extent that it interferes with a person’s daily life and activities” (National Institute on Aging, 2021, para 1). | “Parkinson’s disease is a progressive movement disorder of the nervous system. It causes nerve cells in parts of the brain to weaken, become damaged, and die, leading to symptoms that include problems with movement, tremor, stiffness, and impaired balance. As symptoms progress, people with Parkinson’s disease (PD) may have difficulty walking, talking, or completing other simple tasks” (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 2023, para 1). |
Chronic, long-term exercise interventions (resistance and cardiorespiratory) have been continuously shown to not only reduce the incidence of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, but also to aid in the management of neurodegenerative disease due to their benefits within the nervous system and with overall motor function (Paillard et al., 2015).
“The Four Horsemen of Chronic Disease” from Principles of Biology by Catherine Creech is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.
