Physical activity and mechanisms of physiology

Physical activity and fitness have been identified as priority areas in general health promotion as well as specific objectives for the nation's health. As the older U.S. population continues to increase, it is well accepted that while individuals may live longer, they may not necessarily lead active, happy, and independent lives. Thus, improving the functional independence of aging Americans has become an important priority. Clearly, physical activity is a key ingredient in healthy aging, and whereas there is some evidence that exercise participation rates are increasing, conservative epidemiological estimates suggest that over ۴۰% of adults are sedentary and that less than ۴۰% of the population over ۶۵ years of age engage in any leisure time physical activity(Joensuu et al.,۲۰۲۳). There is a bulk of information obtained from studies, performed on humans, as well as on experimental animals, regarding the presumption that physical activity, especially aerobic training could demonstrate positive effect on many aspects of brain functions and cognition. The evidence from studies on animals have identified molecular and cellular changes that have occurred under the influence of physical training and could be related to the exerted effects of fitness on cognition. It has been proven that physical training selectively increases angiogenesis, synaptogenesis and neurogenesis (especially in gyrus dentatus in the hippocampus), as well as it initiates the up regulation of numerous neurothrophic factors in rat brain. Nevertheless, there are numerous unanswered questions left regarding this issue. From a practical point of view there is little information on the subject of the design of an intervention which will enable an optimal effect of physical exercise on cognition and mental health. Future studies should answer questions such as when it is the best time to start the physical training, which types and which intensity of physical training are the most efficient(Rodriguez-Ayllon et al.,۲۰۱۹).