Brain Power and Body Control

Body and brain age changes related to functional activities can make movement less safe and balancing more difficult. Exercise can combat cognitive decline to some degree, according to the results of a new study. Older adults who did high amounts of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity had a 36% lower risk of cognitive impairment, as well as better memory and executive function, than those who did less. Regular physical exercise relating to daily living improves aerobic capacity, functional strength and mobility and has the potential to improve degenerative cognitive symptoms.

The benefits of physical activities on cognition have shown a positive relationship between higher levels of physical activity and a reduced risk of cognitive impairment (Audiren et.al.,2011). 

Exercise potential for Brain preservation. Health behaviours such as achieving a sufficient amount of physical activity. (Guure, Ibrahim, Adam, & Said, 2017) could promote the maintenance of cognitive function (Cadar et al., 2012; Clare et al., 2017; Sabia et al., 2009) and decrease dementia risk (Lourida et al., 2019)

A combination of processes is needed to control movement. Any impairment in cognitive function will severely compromise the ability to respond correctly or quickly to actions required. Cognitive skills are the central control component part of movement. These are the skills that are required to interpret incoming sensations and then process the background information to plan for an appropriate motor response. It encompasses the processes of attention, memory storage, response time and executive functional intelligence to provide the correct information required of the body to move correctly.

The following are some basic physical changes that make movement harder to undertake.

 Physical  – Age change Body control  

• Reduced exercise duration
• Reduced strength and mobility
• Increased fatigue
• Reduced capacity to perform at high loads.

Resulting in slower, less stable movements

The following are some basic cognitive changes that make movement harder to undertake.

Cognitive – Age change – Brain Power and Body control  

• Slower reaction time
• Reduced response time
• Decrease in balance and coordination
• Increased potential to fall

changes which reduce the speed of movement, requiring more time to respond

• Planning & Anticipation
• Concentration
• Memory & Attention
• Learning & adaptation
• Abstract reasoning
• Spatial orientation & manipulation

Resulting in in slower, less stable movements and reduced overall body control

NB. Central control summary – Cognitive skills are the core skills your brain uses to think, read, learn, remember, reason, and pay attention. They are the essential qualities for the brain to be able to think, listen, learn, understand, justify, question, and pay close attention.

Some Basic Brain Age Change and Movement Implications

Shrinkage can occur in the frontal lobe which affects attention, reaction and movement time, working memory and the ability to multitask. This makes movement much more difficult and activities slower.

There is a slowing down of the ability to interpret large amounts of information coming in very quickly. This affects the interpretation of what is happening and the response to that stimulus. It is more difficult undertaking the initial stages of motor learning.

We may become more hesitant, less flexible in thinking and being adventurous.

Areas concerned with body control and balance can become affected with movements becoming more difficult and can have an associated increased fear factor that reduces confidence levels and motivation to move more.

Brain Power and Body Control  

Closed (Static) or Open(Dynamic) Exercises – progressions

1. Closed Skills – (Static) – are good for initial application; practice and progression (confidence and competence acquisition). Closed skills include strength training, aerobic exercise programs etc. – aimed at enhancing mobility, strength and/or conditioning of the circulatory and respiratory systems to become more efficient through sustained exercise (mostly automated)
2. Open Skills– Dynamic – –are good for more tactical / cognitive application needed to adapt and modify skills. More relevant to daily functional activities and improving balance parameters.  Open skills involve more cognitve element requiring temporal and spatial accuracy essential for achieving more unpredictable activities e.g. dancing, recreational activities

Closed Skills:  They more associated with working in static more “contained”environments e.g gym/ fitness centre. The programs provide the ability to undertake consistent and repititive sequences, routines, & procedures . Activities undetaken more by …….

• Using a machine or fixed apparatus…….Usually involving an individual single, focused task e.g improving strength / aeorbic capacity by applying specific and defined variables of: Frequency; Intensity; Time; Type

Resulting in …….

• Consistent results and the development of predictable skills and good safe techniques.

Open Skills: They are more associated with working in dynamic “open” environments. The programs focus on improving overall body and brain control through more  variable and unpredictable movements and stimulation to gain better functional balance and co-ordination

 Activities undetaken more by applying …….

• Dual-tasking and mental activity challenges / cognitive physical training
• Changing variables associated with speed, timing and directions.

Resulting in …….

• Ability to adapt and respond to high degrees of variability.
• Ability to manipulation of objects (e.g. balls . sticks etc.)

*A reminder concerning basic exercise programs content

3 +1 major components:

Stamina (aerobic fitness); Strength; Suppleness(flexibility); Balance.

Programs consists of four elements:…… Frequency; Intensity; Time; Type

Many components and elements are required to work together to achieve the correct and best results. Progress and challenges can be made by adjusting them to accommodate a specific movement level or health problem.

Don’t be afraid to try something new to continue to make progress and remain focused 

Different exercise requirements for different areas.*

There are different areas in the brain that have different but roles. It may be helpful when choosing your program, to understand some of these roles and how it can relate to different exercise types required for effective movement. The following are just 5 major areas involved with cognitive processing required for good functional movement.( Motor and sensory cortex also involved to create the required moves )

Frontal lobe – many functions ……responsible for executive control e.g. thinking; decision-making; reasoning; planning; judgement; attention; working memory; response time for voluntary muscle movement. inhibition control e.g. mood; emotions etc,

Exercise requirement

*Strength training ; Mind body exercise; Cognitive demanding exercises; Open skilled exercise 

Parietal lobe – Responsible for receiving and processing sensory information to provide feedback on body posture, movement and space around us.

Exercise requirement

*Sensory rich activities; Orientation / Visuo spatial demands

Temporal lobe-–Home of the limbic system structures, including the hippocampus and the amygdala  to organize sensory input and aid in auditory perception; memory formation; language and speech production to make sense of the world and store musical, verbal, scent and pictorial memories-

1. Hippocampus – responsible for long term memory – vital role in learning & remembering what happens from minute to minute & is constantly forming new neurones & connections –

Shrinkage with age may trigger memory lapses and problems with retrieval of necessary information

Exercise requirement

*Cardio-vascular exercise; General activity exercise; Closed skilled activities   

Visual cortex -– sees information coming from the eye for spatial environment /orientation etc.  (NB – many eye issues may influence movement)

Exercise requirement.

* Orientation /Visuo spatial demands; Motor control & stimulation; Visual attention demands; Balance & coordination

Cerebellum-– the centre for balance and co-ordination

Exercise requirement 

*Balance & coordination; Skill & motor learning; Open skilled exercise    

Summary

• The Brain and Body Work as a Team and are Very Interdependent.
• *Different parts of the brain need different types of exercise to challenge and stimulate the systems thereby keeping the connections strong and viable. This in turn helps maintain good body control.
• A mentally active lifestyle which includes exercise can improve movement efficiency.
• There are many ways to exercise to suit your needs and abilities. Consider what you are really needing and prepared to undertake to achieve your long term
• Levels and layers

Don’t stagnate.  If you want to improve …..move.  Once you have mastered the basics and are confident in what you can manage, then you need to progress and challenge your body in different ways to keep it stimulated and working well.

• Choosing Static or Dynamic Exercises – Which challenge…Which suits? (see notes)

(Examples)

• Do you want to improve your strength? …then work on static closed skill activities.
• Do you to improve your overall physical and mental control?….then move on from closed skills to dynamic skill activities, apply more challenging activities that relate to everyday function and improve balance and co-ordination as you gain more control.

               Variety maintains interest and challenges different systems.

All types of exercise are important to keep YOU active and functioning physically and mentally well.

Article related the subject of the newsletter  https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/exercise-doesn-t-just-benefit-your-body-it-also-strengthens-your-brain-20240404-p5fhba.html