My observation
There are moments lately where my brain just feels completely overloaded.
Right now, my life is pretty overwhelming. I am working two full-time jobs and taking on anything additional I can get, so I can pay for my PhD. That pressure is always there in the background. I am also trying to maintain a relationship I value, even though the last two years of my life have been mostly consumed by my dissertation.
And somewhere in the middle of all of that, I gained back 100 pounds of the 150 pounds I had lost.
That did not happen because I stopped caring. It happened because something had to give while I was trying to survive the workload of this program. I ate like a jackass because it was easier than thinking about nutrition. I stopped working out because I was mentally exhausted all the time.
There is a lot of weight on my shoulders right now, in more ways than one.
The only thing that keeps me moving forward on some days is that I am close to finishing. I keep my head down, and I just march forward.
But something interesting happens on the days when I actually do make time to work out.
After the workout, my brain feels completely different.
Clearer. Lighter. More capable.
The problem is that when life gets overwhelming, exercise is often the first thing we give up—even though it might be the thing that helps the most.
Physical movement changes how the brain works
When we talk about exercise, we usually talk about weight loss, cardiovascular health, or building strength.
But neuroscience research shows that physical activity also changes how the brain functions.
Aerobic exercise has been shown to improve attention, processing speed, and executive function—the cognitive processes responsible for planning, decision-making, and managing complex tasks (Hillman et al., 2008). These are the exact mental systems that start to break down when we are stressed and overloaded.
In other words, movement does not just make the body stronger. It helps the brain organize itself.
Exercise also increases blood flow to the brain and stimulates the release of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports learning, memory formation, and neural growth (Szuhany et al., 2015). You can think of BDNF as fertilizer for the brain—it helps neurons grow stronger connections.
That might explain something many people notice intuitively.
When you start moving, your mind starts working again.
Why thoughts organize during movement
For me, the clearest example of this happens at the end of a workout.
I usually spend about thirty minutes walking after lifting. Part of that is physical recovery, but part of it has become mental recovery.
When I walk, my thoughts start sorting themselves out.
Problems that felt overwhelming suddenly feel manageable. Ideas start connecting. Things I could not figure out earlier in the day begin to make sense.
This is not just anecdotal. Research consistently shows that acute exercise improves cognitive performance, particularly tasks related to executive control and attention (Chang et al., 2012).
Movement seems to give the brain the space it needs to process information.
Exercise literally changes the brain
The effects of exercise go even deeper than short-term clarity.
One longitudinal study found that regular aerobic exercise increased the size of the hippocampus—the region of the brain responsible for learning and memory—by about 2%, effectively reversing one to two years of age-related brain shrinkage (Erickson et al., 2011).
That is remarkable.
The hippocampus is one of the brain regions most vulnerable to stress and aging, yet regular exercise can actually stimulate growth in that area.
So when we move our bodies, we are not just burning calories.
We are changing our brains.
Why I need to get back to it
The frustrating part is that I already know all of this.
I know I feel better when I work out.
I know my mind is clearer. I know my mood is better. I know I show up as a better teacher and a better human being.
And yet when life gets chaotic, exercise is still the first thing I negotiate away.
“I just need more sleep.”
“I will go tomorrow.”
“I will skip today.”
And then the guilt kicks in.
But when I actually do make time to work out—even if it is just a simple workout—I remember why it matters.
After I train, I want a shower. I want real food. I want to start my day.
The fog lifts.
The body and the mind are not separate
We often act as if the mind and the body are two separate systems.
They are not.
The brain is part of the body. When the body moves, the brain changes with it.
Right now, I know I need to rebuild that routine.
I miss working out. I miss feeling strong. I miss being able to walk into a store and buy clothes that fit the way I want them to. I love fashion, and I hate feeling like I have to hide from it.
I miss being able to have conversations without my brain completely blanking out.
Mostly, though, I miss feeling mentally clear.
I turn 42 today.
That feels like a good moment to start again.
Because sometimes the fastest way to solve a thinking problem is not to think harder.
Sometimes the fastest way is simply to move.
References
Chang, Y. K., Labban, J. D., Gapin, J. I., & Etnier, J. L. (2012). The effects of acute exercise on cognitive performance: A meta-analysis. Brain Research, 1453, 87–101. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2012.02.068
Erickson, K. I., Voss, M. W., Prakash, R. S., Basak, C., Szabo, A., Chaddock, L., Kim, J. S., Heo, S., Alves, H., White, S. M., Wojcicki, T. R., Mailey, E., Vieira, V. J., Martin, S. A., Pence, B. D., Woods, J. A., McAuley, E., & Kramer, A. F. (2011). Exercise training increases size of hippocampus and improves memory. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108 (7), 3017–3022. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1015950108
Hillman, C. H., Erickson, K. I., & Kramer, A. F. (2008). Be smart, exercise your heart: Exercise effects on brain and cognition. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 9(1), 58–65. https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn2298
Szuhany, K. L., Bugatti, M., & Otto, M. W. (2015). A meta-analytic review of the effects of exercise on brain-derived neurotrophic factor. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 60, 56–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.01.003
