This is what happens to your brain when you stop exercising

Motivating yourself to exercise can be tough sometimes.

But aside from feeling some mild guilt after skipping the gym to binge watch Netflix instead, you probably feel pretty much the same health-wise.

While missing the odd session doesn't make too much difference, scientists have discovered that taking just 10 days off from exercising can have a big effect on the brain.

In a study published in Frontiers of Ageing Neuroscience, researchers observed a group of healthy, physically fit adults aged 50 to 80 before and after they took a 10-day break from their fitness routines.

After examining the group’s MRIs, lead author Dr Jerome Carson Smith explained:

We know that the hippocampus plays an important role in learning and memory and is one of the first brain regions to shrink in people with Alzheimer's disease. So, it is significant that people who stopped exercising for only 10 days showed a decrease in brain blood flow in brain regions that are important for maintaining brain health.

But thankfully it's not all doom and gloom:

We did not find any evidence that cognitive abilities worsened after stopping exercising for just 10 days. But the take home message is simple – if you do stop exercising for 10 days, just as you will quickly lose your cardiovascular fitness, you will also experience a decrease in blood brain flow.

So time off is fine - but giving up the gym forever is probably not a great idea.

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