Exercise. Better Than We Thought
Looking for a no- or low-cost intervention to treat trauma? Look no further than getting some exercise.
New research reveals that exercise can rewire brains and reset traumatic memories, at least according to SciTechDaily.
In the Journal of Experimental Neurology, researchers discovered that exercise not only enhances hippocampal mitochondrial functions and improves hippocampal neuroplasticity but it also ameliorates anxiety, depression, learning and memory related to PTSD!
The reason for this is that exercise creates new neural pathways causing hippocampus neurogenesis. According to Fujikawa, “Neurogenesis is important for forming new memories but also for forgetting memories. We think this happens because when new neurons integrate into neural circuits, new connections are forged and older connections are lost, disrupting the ability to recall memories.”
This research suggests that exercise may be an important non-pharmacological intervention for the prevention and treatment of the pathobiology of PTSD. Despite being conducted on mice, these findings should give us tremendous hope that the same happens for us humans, too!
