It’s no secret that working out is good for you.

It builds muscle, burns fat, strengthens bones, and improves cardiovascular function. Yet, so many people are overweight and out of shape. Studies show that a little over 42% of Americans have obesity. That’s a staggering amount.

We know the effects that obesity and lack of working out can have on the body, such as high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

But what effects does it have on the brain?

The research is in, and it doesn’t look good.

The Dementia Elephant In the Room

In today’s cubicle society, we live very sedentary lives.

With our regular nine-to-five job schedules, most people sit at desks indoors all day. They aren’t moving nearly as much as our hunter-gatherer ancestors did. This lack of activity is a severe problem.

As the study above indicated, one out of every three Americans is overweight. Obesity slows down not only the body but also the brain.

A sedentary lifestyle deteriorates the brain from all angles.

This study, in particular, shares data on how sitting ten hours a day increases the risk for all-cause dementia.

That sounds like most people’s daily lives.

Most people get in their car and go to work sitting. They arrive at work and sit for hours. Then, when they go to lunch, most aren’t standing while eating. No. They’re sitting again.

After lunch, they return to their cubicle–sitting again–for another few hours until they clock out, get back in their car to sit all the way home for them to get changed to sit on the couch and binge-watch Netflix.

This cycle of inactivity is destroying brain health, and projections of dementia are on the rise.

Dementia Growth Rate In Young Adults

Twenty years ago, dementia was only associated with elderly folks and the aging population.

This isn’t the case anymore.

While age combined with inactivity is still the biggest factor for dementia, scientists have seen a rise in dementia in young adults.

Take a look at this study. It shows the spike in an ever-growing diagnosis of what’s known as “early-onset dementia.”

Early-onset dementia and Alzheimer’s are on the rise as well.

This news is scary. People think because they’re young, they can live however they like. As if “youth” is somehow a title of invulnerability, shielding them from any problems. This notion couldn’t be further from the truth.

Actions have consequences. And the inaction from lack of activity is causing more people to lose memory, retention, and cognitive function.

These are critically important to live a happy life, run a business, and make money.

What good is increasing your knowledge and skillset if you can’t retain what you’ve learned?

How Exercise Actually Helps the Brain Perform

Physical activity boosts brain health.

Walk, run, bike, lift weights, dance, or train in martial arts. Get a dog and take it out on daily walks. Do something. Do anything that you can stick to and maintain.

For the most benefit, assuming you aren’t training to become a professional athlete, adults need at least 150 minutes of weekly activity at a moderate or intense level. And ideally, a mix of aerobic exercise with strength training.

The increased activity levels have been shown to reduce cognitive decline drastically.

One study found that cognitive decline is almost twice as common among inactive adults as active adults.

Exercise also stimulates physiological changes in the body, encouraging the production of growth factors — chemicals that affect the growth of new blood vessels in the brain and even the abundance, survival, and overall health of new brain cells.

Many studies have suggested that the parts of the brain that control thinking and memory are larger in volume in people who exercise than in people who don't.

Dr. Scott McGinnis, an instructor in neurology at Harvard Medical School, says,

"Even more exciting is the finding that engaging in a program of regular exercise of moderate intensity over six months or a year is associated with an increase in the volume of selected brain regions."

Exercise can also indirectly boost memory and thinking by improving mood and sleep and reducing stress and anxiety. Problems in these areas frequently cause or contribute to cognitive impairment.

The BMM Takeaway

Get moving. Workout. Train.

Not only will it benefit how you look, but it’ll also benefit brain health.

If you can, do some physical activity outside. Not only are we less active than ever, but society is also Vitamin D deficient. About a billion people worldwide are Vitamin D deficient.

Vitamin D is essential for brain health—specifically, Vitamin D3. And the best source of Vitamin D is the sun.

A Vitamin D deficiency is linked to cognitive impairment and dementia. Vitamin D’s biologically active form has shown neuroprotective effects, including clearing amyloid plaques, a hallmark of Alzheimer's disease.

So train outside when able. You’ll kill two birds with one stone that way.

Regardless, the data is in: you should be moving your body and moving it often.

Physical activity can greatly reduce the risk of dementia and cognitive decline. Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, repairing it, restoring it, and maintaining optimal levels of cognition for as long as we’re alive.

Incorporating a workout regime will allow you to keep the full use of your brain to make better business decisions, yield more money, and live a life you can look back on and remember.