People who exercise, as compared to those who don’t, are found to have a larger volume of gray matter in the prefrontal cortex and the entorhinal cortex in their medial temporal lobe[9]. These are regions in the brain particularly associated with complex mind processes such as planning, personality development, decision-making and retrieval of remote long-term memory.
The larger volume of gray matter in these regions especially the medial temporal lobe is indeed associated with better memory performance.
In a study[10] designed to test if the larger volume of the hippocampus and entorhinal cortex is associated with cardio-respiratory exercises in healthy young adults, it was confirmed that fitness and aerobic exercise does have a positive effect on memory.
The participants in this study used a standard treadmill for their aerobic exercise and were then tested for memory recognition task.
As explained by Dr. Karin Schon, "our results suggest that aerobic exercise may have a positive effect on the medial temporal lobe memory system (which includes the entorhinal cortex) in healthy young adults. This suggests that exercise training, when designed to increase aerobic fitness, might have a positive effect on the brain in healthy young adults.”
Learning itself and constant mental practice are not the only activities that may change the structure of the brain. As studies confirmed, physical exercise is a contributing factor to neuroplasticity.
Physical activities that keep the heart pumping and the sweat glands working, such as brisk walking, jogging, running or swimming are the kinds of exercises that were proven to give these benefits. Other kinds of physical workouts such as resistance training, weight lifting and muscle building did not produce the same results. Walking is already a great cardiovascular exercise.
These cardiovascular exercises protect memory. We all know that aging is the main factor in cognitive decline in elder adults, and yet, a study[11] suggests that having a regular aerobic activity may also be a contributing factor in preventing this age-related memory decline and preserves the brain from other neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Physical exercise promotes structural and neurochemical changes in the brain and thus intervenes with degenerative memory decline.
Strokes aggravate the cognitive impairments brought by age-related disorders. Another study[12] suggests that exercise can also help stroke patients from recovering and thereby improve their physical rehabilitation as well as cognition.
Therefore, the best thing that you can give to yourself is physical exercise. It benefits not only the vital organs but also the brain. By far, exercise is more effective than any drug on the market today to benefit your mental faculties and thereby enhance your capabilities to learn better.
Make exercise a habit. Start with a 30-minute exercise regimen and execute it for 6 months up to a year if you want to test its effectivity on your memory. Remember that only aerobic exercises will help in memory improvement. Other kinds of gym workouts such as resistance and balance training may affect physical agility, but not the regions of the brain which are associated with better cognitive and mental performance.