Exercise can have a big impact on your brain health

SALT LAKE CITY – Exercise is beneficial to many aspects of our health. We often think about how exercise is good for our physical health, but it can also play a significant role on our brain health.

In the latest Let’s Get Moving with Maria podcast episode, Maria Shilaos spoke with Alex Martinez, CEO and Co-Founder of Intrinsic Medicine, to learn the types of exercise we can do to improve our overall cognitive function.

Martinez says that although any activity is better than no activity, the type of exercise you do for stronger brain health still matters.

“Exercise actually changes the microbio, and different types of exercise change it in different ways,” he said.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) plays a substantial role when it comes to improving neuron profiles, neurotransmitter signals, and overall cognitive function. Martinez said that we should all be working towards finding an appropriate HIIT based on our individual needs. The most important thing to remember is that for any exercise, safety comes first.

“One is to do HIIT with a heart monitor, or using one of the many wearable tools we have available today, so that you’re able to calculate your heart rate max,” he said.

This will help you identify your percentage of heart rate max. For high-intensity, you want it to be at least 90 percent. However, the goal is to have it be about 95 percent.

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