If you really want your brain to function at its absolute best, if you want to be at your peak mentally, you’ll have to learn how to give your brain what it really needs.

The first step is to remember that your brain is actually a part of your physical body, and your brain is affected by what you do to the rest of your body.

Your brain is nourished by the blood that comes in through your arteries, pumped by your heart. The blood carries the nutrients and the oxygen that your brain cells need.

and so thatnot only will you need to eat the types of nutritious foods that your brain craves, not only will but have a vital, well functioning brain, an essential component of your program must include regular physical exercise. Does that surprise you?

You might wonder why it’s important to get physical exercise if your main priority is to improve the way your brain works.

Aren’t very intellectual people often physically inert? It’s true that some people who use their brains a lot don’t get a lot of exercise, but chances are that their brains would work even better if they exercised regularly. If you make exercise a regular part of your life, your brain will benefit a lot!

Numerous studies in humans and animals have found that the brain benefits from physical exercise. Here are some of the ways exercise helps brain function:

·Exercise improves the oxygenation of the blood.
·Exercise helps lower blood pressure. High blood pressure takes a toll on brain cells and greatly contributes to the danger of stroke.
·Exercise improves circulation of blood within the brain.
·Physical activity strengthens the heart, which is the pump that keeps everything going.
·Exercise reduces the levels of artery-clogging cholesterol.
·Exercising regularly can help relieve depression.
·It improves mood and self-esteem.
·Exercise helps keep blood sugar level, which is very important, particularly for diabetics.
·Exercise can boost the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine, which not only affect mood, but also help “lock in” memories when they form. .
·In animal studies, exercise appears to enhance the production of nerve growth factor, which helps the cells of the brain form new connections with each other.

Your ability to think clearly and creatively is dependent on the physical wellbeing of your brain and body. In turn, the wellbeing of your brain and body depends on the lifestyle decisions you make.

You can make decisions that increase the vibrant health of your body and brain, or you can make decisions that accelerate their decline.

Not all of us are keen about exercising our bodies, just as not all of us are keen about exercising our brains. As children, most of us loved to do both. Yet as we grow older we often lose the urge to exercise ourselves, either mentally or physically.

Until quite recently most people had to work hard physically for many hours a day. Now many of us spend hours sitting at desks, sitting in cars, and of course, sitting watching television, or staring at a computer screen. The human body was not designed for excessive sitting and lying around. It was designed to move.

What sorts of exercises will help your brain as

About the Author: This article is taken from the new book by Royane Real titled "How You Can Be Smarter - Use Your Brain to Learn Faster, Remember Better and Be More Creative" If you want to learn how you can use your brain better, download it today or get the paperback version at www.lulu.com/real