According to new research from a team based at Princeton University, exercise actually reorganises the brain so that it responds better to stressful situations.
Science Daily reported that during the study, researchers used mice that were allowed to exercise frequently and were then exposed to a stressor, in this case cold water. Their brains exhibited a spike in the activity of neurons that shut off excitement in the ventral hippocampus (the part of the brain that regulates anxiety). This response allowed the mice to remain calmer under stress.
There are clearly wide benefits from fitness and personal training. Researchers are confident that these new findings will aid in the refining of treatments for those suffering from anxiety disorders.
A highlight of the study is how the brain is able to tailor its own processes and be extremely adaptive. The research was part of the graduate dissertation for Timothy Schoenfeld, who is now a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute of Mental Health.
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