News Hub: Humans Alone in Brain Shrinkage With Age
Neurogenesis occurs from two primary sources in normal brains:
1. Touch
2. Exercise that gets the heart rate above 65% max heart rate for women and 75% for men for 45 minutes. (Max heart rate equals 220 minus your age. A 40 year old would have a max heart rate of 180. 65% of 180 = 117 and 75%of 180 = 135. This is not that difficult.
It's not enough, though, just to trigger neurogenesis. You also need to learn something brand new within three to four week to get the embryonic stem cells to fire their axons and "wire" themselves in (though the nerve ending do not actually touch). If they don't get wired in from new demands for knowledge within those four weeks, they never do. You are much more likely to have these new baby brain cells stick around if you are learning a new physical skill - skating, pilates, yoga, karate, jiu-jitsu, riding, gymnastic, Crossfit, fighting, rock climbing, tennis, raquetball - anything, as long as it's new and initially confusing.
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