By Dr. Mercola

Scientists have been linking the benefits of physical exercise to brain health for many years, but new research is making it clear that the two aren't just simply related; rather, it is THE relationship.

As reported by The New York Times, new evidence shows that physical exercise helps you build a brain that not only resists shrinkage, but increases cognitive abilitiesi.

A study of mice produced a powerful illustration of just how influential physical exercise is on your brainii.

The mice were divided into four groups that included a group that had plenty of access to stimulating and sensual activities.

But only one group had a running wheel in their cagesand when the cognitive tests were completed, it turned out that being able to use the running wheel was the only thing that mattered in determining how well they did on the tests.

According to the New York Times:

"Animals that exercised, whether or not they had any other enrichments in their cages, had healthier brains and performed significantly better on cognitive tests than the other mice.

Animals that didn't run, no matter how enriched their world was otherwise, did not improve their brainpower in the complex, lasting ways that Rhodes's team was studying.

"They loved the toys," Rhodes says, and the mice rarely ventured into the empty, quieter portions of their cages.

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Exercise Benefits Your Brain Health - Mercola Peak Fitness ...

Exercise has been touted to be a cure for nearly everything in life, from depression, to memory loss, Alzheimers disease, Parkinsons and more. At the same time, similar to the topic of sleep, I found myself having very little specific and scientific knowledge about what exercise really does to our bodies and our brains.

Yes, yes, I know all about it, thats the thing with the endorphins, that makes you feel good and why we should exercise and stuff, right? is what I can hear myself say to someone bringing this up. I would pick up things here and there, yet really digging into the connection of exercise and how it effects us has never been something Ive done.

Inspired by a recent post from Joel on what makes us happy Ive set out to uncover the connection between our feeling of happiness and exercising regularly.

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Most of us are aware of what happens to the body when we exercise. We build more muscle or more stamina. We feel how daily activities like climbing stairs becomes easier if we exercise regularly. When it comes to our brain and mood though, the connection isnt so clear.

The line around our endorphins are released is more something I throw around to sound smart, without really knowing what it means. Here is what actually happens:

If you start exercising, your brain recognizes this as a moment of stress. As your heart pressure increases, the brain thinks you are either fighting the enemy or fleeing from it. To protect yourself and your brain from stress, you release a protein called BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor). This BDNF has a protective and also reparative element to your memory neurons and acts as a reset switch. Thats why we often feel so at ease and things are clear after exercising and eventually happy.

At the same time, endorphins, another chemical to fight stress, is released in your brain. Your endorphins main purpose is this writes researcher McGovern:

These endorphins tend to minimize the discomfort of exercise, block the feeling of pain and are even associated with a feeling of euphoria.

Overall, there is a lot going on inside our brain and it is in fact oftentimes a lot more active than when we are just sitting down or actually concentrating mentally:

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Why Exercising Makes Us Happier - Social - Thoughts on ...

COLUMBIA, SC Since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, a ring of surface-to-air missiles has encircled Washington, D.C., prepared to shoot down any aerial threat to the nations capital be it piper cub, commercial airliner or enemy fighter.

Today, more than 200 soldiers from the South Carolina National Guard are manning those missiles, perched atop buildings at several locations around the city, in a yearlong deployment that began in April.

It is the fourth time that the unit the 263rd Army Air and Missile Defense Command and its subordinate 2-263rd Air Defense Artillery Battalion has held that important job in the past 10 years.

Most people in Washington, D.C., dont realize that they are surrounded by missiles and the number of rooftops these things are on, said Maj. Gen. Glenn Bramhall, a Spartanburg native who commands the 263rd. It doesnt get the media attention. Its low key. There are no special badges or medals. But the overall Army and the military know who we are and trust us to protect the capital.

The unit is one of only four theater-size air defense commands in the U.S. Army, and the only one in a state national guard. The mission is one of myriad specialized units and unique assignments handled by the military in South Carolina active duty, Reserve or Guard which are generally unknown to the general public.

It also exemplifies the many missions handled by the S.C. Guard, one of the nations most active.

It shows the diversity of the people we have and our ability to handle the missions that come our way, said Maj. Gen. Robert Livingston, the state adjutant general and the Guards commander.

The 263rd has two functions: The command and control element that coordinates with the FBI, Secret Service, Army, Air Force and NORAD, called Joint Air Defense Operations Center; and the men and woman of the 2-263rd Battalion who man the batteries.

Its rare that both the command and control and battery operations are filled by soldiers from one state.

It talks about the nations confidence in our ability to do that job, Livingston said. Its inter-agency. Its FBI, Secret Service, all of that.

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SC soldiers mission: Protect the nations capitol

You've probably heard that staring at a screen could ruin your eyes. But now, some say it could help improve your vision.

[WEB EXTRA: Find app here ]

New mobile apps aimed at improving your vision are now available, and some claim they can even allow you to throw out your reading glasses. It's an issue that affects millions of people, as generally speaking, eyes tend to gradually weaken as we approach our mid-40s.

Apps like Glasses Off and Ultimeyes are designed to excercise eyes, just like our other muscles, to improve vision. They present games and excercies to retrain the way the brain interprets images.

"We can potentially improve the image processing unit in our brain to do a much better interpretation of whatever visual image coming in from the eyes," said Shai Novik, chairman of Glasses Off.

Glasses Off is a free download, but access to the program costs $60. Novik claims when the app is used correctly, 90 percent of users will no longer need to wear their reading glasses.

"You need to play the game three times a week, fifteen minutes each time for approximately three months," Novik said.

Medical experts said there is some validity in these claims, as the brain can be continually improved with practice.

"I think that's what these apps really are talking about. Not so much improving the eye, but improving the brain," said Mark Blumenkranz, the Chair of Stanford University's Department of Ophthalmology.

Researchers at Stanford have developed their own vision-related app called Sightbook. It offers a series of vision tests a patient can do at home in order to help diagnose problems.

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App claims to improve your vision

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg (L) and Latvian Chief of Defence Raimonds Graube observe life fire excercise during his visit at Adazi Military base in Latvia on Nov. 21, 2014. AFP

Ukraine ended its status as a nonaligned nation on Dec. 23, reopening aspirations to join NATO and drawing a quick rebuke from Moscow, which has accused the West of bringing hostile forces to its borders.

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Wall Street Journal: Ukraine ends 'nonaligned' status, earning quick rebuke from Russia

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Weight Loss Tips for Women