Moving body, lies in healing: how exercise can alleviate traumatic memories
Walking, running, pedaling … In addition to strengthening the muscles, exercise can also help relieve the pain we don’t see. A new search from University of KyushuIn Japan, he revealed that moving the body can help to soften traumatic memories, promoting profound transformations in the brain.
According to scientists, the practice encourages the birth of new neurons in an essential region for memory: the hippocampus. And this can be a key point to reduce the symptoms of emotional trauma such as anxiety, excessive fear and avoidance.
Rewrite memories in the brain
This process, called neurogenesis, consists in the creation of new neurons. And more surprisingly, these new cells seem to interfere positively with existing memory networks, reducing the emotional impact of painful memories. Forming new connections, the brain reorganizes and gradually traumatic memories are losing strength, as if they had been “reprinted” with less emotional weight.
Exercise: more effective than genetic manipulation
During the study, scientists also tested a genetic method to artificially stimulate the growth of neurons. Despite the presentation of the results, the technique was not as effective as exercise. This suggests that the movement has a wider role: in addition to stimulating the brain, it activates cognitive and emotional functions related to overcoming and resilience. In other words: moving the body seems to arouse internal forces that help you better manage the pain.
Routes for the future
Although the research is still in the experimental phase, the results bring hope. They strengthen something that many people already feel in practice: exercise helps to cure the mind. Both with a walk in the park, a dance lesson or a simple stretch when waking up, each movement is an invitation to rebalance. Perhaps, to the extent of our own body, it is also the rhythm of our healing.
Source: Terra
Ben Stock is a lifestyle journalist and author at Gossipify. He writes about topics such as health, wellness, travel, food and home decor. He provides practical advice and inspiration to improve well-being, keeps readers up to date with latest lifestyle news and trends, known for his engaging writing style, in-depth analysis and unique perspectives.
