Once the winter holidays arrive, to check the body of the little fat pier up, Xiaoming and Xiaogang live in the same ward, two 11-year-old boys like to eat meat, appetite is very good, body mass index (BMI) Xiaoming 24.8, Xiaogang 25.5; test results: Xiaoming has hyperlipidemia and hyperinsulinemia, Xiaogang just simple obesity. Why Xiaoming is not as fat as Xiaogang, but the test results are not good? It turns out that Xiao Ming does not like to exercise, parents complain that the child is nervous about studying, send a special car to pick up and drop off at school, usually every day homework to 10 pm; rest days sleep, stay at home to play computer. Xiaogang, on the other hand, likes to play badminton, once free to let his father play with him. The results of the examination is the movement is not a lot worse! See what scientists think neuroscientist Gregory Burns pointed out that the human brain is essentially a lazy pile of meat. But if you take a brisk walk or jog with the body connected to it, you will find that the meat brain is like a Lite-Brite light box, suddenly glowing and shining. Physical exercise activates and affects the brain in more complex and subtle ways. When the body exercises, blood pressure and blood flow increase throughout the body, and the brain is no exception. More blood flow means more energy and oxygen and better brain performance, writes Justin Rhodes, associate professor of psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, in Scientific American. Years of research have shown that the hippocampus, the floppy hippocampus-like area on either side of the brain that is associated with learning new things and memory formation, is highly activated during exercise. Recent research has uncovered more complex and subtle ways in which movement activation affects the brain. Exercise speeds up the brain’s information superhighway The gray matter, the fleshy, crumpled piece that usually comes to mind when we conjure up images of the brain, is only half of the truth about how the brain works. Recent research conducted by the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign looked at the brains of children and adults and found that the white matter of the brain – the network of nerve fibers that connect and transmit signals to the brain – becomes tougher and more compact during movement. “The leaner and more compact the white matter of the brain, the faster and more efficient the brain operates.” Christopher Bergland writes in Psychology Today, “Our worst enemy is sedentary …… A little daily exercise can help keep the white matter of the brain intact.” Exercise connects the heart to the brain It’s well known that physical activity is good for cardiovascular health. But new research has found that a healthy heart also affects brain function, and exercise is the key link between the two. Researcher Claudine Gaudier points out that the aorta is responsible for transporting oxygenated blood throughout the body, including the brain, and as we age, it is the location where the body’s arteries harden first. The Gauthier team at the University of Montreal recently released a study that found that older adults who were physically active and had better aortic status performed better on cognitive tests. “One of the ways that exercise slows cognitive decline may be to maintain the elasticity of the blood vessels,” Gauthier said. Conclusion: A healthy heart makes a healthy brain. The link between muscle activity and brain health During exercise, human muscles produce a protein called PGC-1alpha. According to Gretchen Reynolds of The New York Times, this protein helps break down kynurenine, a substance that accumulates in the bloodstream as a result of stress. Given that exercise boosts the production of PGC-1alpha protein in the body, which breaks down kynurenine, which tends to cause depression, the researchers concluded that “exercise reduces the risk of depression.” Exercise is an innate human instinct, yet modern, screen-obsessed culture has given rise to bad habits that keep children sedentary for long periods of time. When it comes to exercise, the most important question is how often and for how long do we need to achieve the real benefits of exercise. According to Reynolds, who has written a book on the topic, only 20 minutes a day is needed, especially if one is not active per se. “The first 20 minutes of exercise provide the most significant health benefits for people who are sedentary,” says Reynolds. “It’s in the first 20 minutes that all of this happens to prolong life and reduce the risk of disease.” Chinese primary and secondary school students are a bit tired, and studying is really intense. But the focus today is not on weight loss through exercise, but on getting fit and keeping the heart and brain in good shape. “If you start exercising regularly and improve your health, even if you don’t lose the last pound, you can live longer and improve your quality of life,” concludes Rinoz. Little chubbies, get moving with mom and dad! Take advantage of every opportunity, such as walking to and from school, and for the inactive, a brisk 20-minute walk every day can change your health!