Exercise creates a better brain

Here's an interesting theory about exercise: if you exercise regularly then you have less anger. It might not make you a better person, but it releases the mental and emotional energy that can accumulate in the modern workplace.

We've heard a lot about exercise creating energy, but we seldom consider the energy that exercise releases.

I’ve heard countless people share that after 90 minutes of yoga, nothing can touch them. They are more courteous on the road. They are more considerate at the grocery store. The cares and stresses of life appear to be put into a proper context. There are any number of small things that improve immediately.

From my own experience, I know that after a run I never curse at other drivers and I feel as though I'm kind of mentally insulated. I’m not talking about a “runner’s high,” that is a different phenomenon. This is more of general feeling of well-being.

Most people who exercise know this intuitively but since intuitive understanding seems to be discounted in our age there is also scientific research to confirm what we already know. Exercise has a strong and positive effect on your brain function.

On the physiological scale, maybe exercise does make you a better person in more ways than just reducing your heart rate. Research is continuing to confirm the obvious.

The best exercises for brain activity are aerobic and require thought, such as ballroom dancing. Remember Sally O’Malley from Saturday Night Live? She’s "50 and loving it"? It’s a great character, but it’s based on a real phenomenon.

Whom among us hasn't met a couple who have been dancing for 30 or 40 years and are in great shape, full of energy, and sharp as tacks? They seem to be standard issue at dance studios.

Is it because dance attracts these high energy types, or are they high energy because of the dance? I'm going to say it's because of the dance. Science is so behind on these things.