Have a tough problem at work, an exam coming up, or just can’t seem to remember names as well as you used to? It may be time to go for a ride. There is mounting evidence and a flurry of new science that is doing away with the idea of the dumb jock. The truth is that there is a strong connection between being fit mentally and being fit physically. Test on elementary students have actually shown that being fitter corresponds to having easier time learning.

The growing research between the mind body connections is showing that exercise stimulates growth in your brain. When we exercise at least two things happen that spur on brain growth. First when we workout we pump more blood and therefore increase the amount of oxygen that the brain is receiving. This nourishes the brain cells. But the second is even more fascinating and something that scientist are just being able to learn more about because of new brain imaging equipment. When we exercise our muscles send out chemicals, which included a special protein that passes into the brain. This activates a brain chemical called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) which actually spurs the brain to grow. Recent studies are showing that this directly affects the part of the brain that controls learning and memory. People who don’t have enough BDNF actually begin to lose the ability to learn and remember. It is revolutionary to think that a process that starts in the muscle directly effects what happens in your brain.

Not just any kind of exercise will do. So far aerobic exercise, especially those that increase your heart rate to the higher end of the scale seems to have more affect than lighter workouts. Although for older people even something as simple as walking can decrease the likelihood of dementia and Alzheimer. There are some types of exercise that are better than others. And cycling fits into this category.

Whats so smart about being a roadie?

Variety
Workouts that included variety seem to help our brains more than just doing the same thing all of the time. When we do something new our brain needs to form new connections. This causes growth in the brain. Unless you do all of your cycling on rollers or only ride around a track the variety that you encounter on rides allows for more growth to take place.

Balance
Another added benefit of cycling is the use of balance. Although you aren’t aware of having to mentally focus on your balance (unless of course you are in the process of losing it) balance is something on which the brain and the muscles most be constantly working together on. These connections reinforce the areas of balance in the brain which become crucial as we age.

Reward
Our brains learn better when they have a reward. If you like cycling and get joy from riding (which most of us do or we would be doing something else) your brain produces more hormones which are beneficial to brain growth. This is something to remember when your kids are studying for an exam. The bike ride before studying and some kind of reward after studying can produce better results than sampling forcing your child to their room to do their homework.

How can you use this knowledge to make you smarter? There are benefits to working out prior to having to learn new material. So if you need to study for an exam or study up before you make a presentation at work try to plan a good ride as close as possible to the learning session. You can actually prime your brain for a learning sessions by getting on your bike. If you are interested in learning more about the brain/body connection pick up the book, Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain by John J. Ratey