The process of causes loss of neurons throughout your brain. You could boost memory by constant replacement of loss or damaged neurons in the hippocampus. The hippocampus is the part of the brain associated with memory and learning. Apparently exercise can help in regenerating these neurons and thus boost memory.

The Process of Generating New Neurons

The neuron is the basic building block of the human brain and nervous system. Each of the more than ten billion neurons in the brain receives, processes and transmits electrical information from one part of the body to another.

It has been a longstanding common belief that we are born with all the neurons we will ever have. It was also believed that we could not regenerate our neurons. It was thought that the aging process robbed us of our neurons. As such, it appeared that the total quantity of neurons were on a gradual decline. This apparently may not be so.

Neurogenesis is the process by which neurons are generated. Neurogenesis is most active during the pre-natal development and is responsible for populating the growing brain. In simple terms this is the process of increasing your brain cells.

Boosting Brain Cells via Exercise

An interesting review was published in the Journal of Neuromolecular Medicine. According to the authors of the study, research in humans and animals has shown that exercise improves mood and cognition. More interestingly, physical activity also causes a robust increase in neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. This is the brain area important for learning and memory. The authors agreed that current research showed a strong link between exercise and improved learning.

Another study looked into the relationship between exercise and neurogenesis. The findings were published in the Journal of Neuromolecular Medicine. The authors affirmed that physical activity caused a robust increase in neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus. As mentioned before, this is the brain area important for learning and memory. Stimulating neurogenesis via physical activity helped boost memory.

Aging causes changes in the hippocampus that may lead to cognitive decline in older adults. Researchers investigated whether voluntary wheel running would benefit mice that were sedentary until 19 months of age. This is like asking an adult human to start exercising after he has been sedentary for a good part of his adult life.

The findings of the study were published in the Journal of Neuroscience.  The decline in neurogenesis in aged mice was reversed to 50% of young control levels by running. These findings give rise to the possibility of exercise increasing mental capabilities at older age.

Increasing Memory with Exercise

The role of  exercise in increasing neurogenesis is now a well accepted fact. Most of the research has shown that exercising increases neurogenesis in the hippocampus. Research has proven beyond a doubt that exercising was a sure-fire way to boost memory.