Whether you are just starting out or are a seasoned skater, roller skating and rollerblading are unique and fun ways to reach your daily exercise goals. Not only do these activities offer physical benefits, but they also offer great mental stimulation to their participants– leading to even better brain health.
How Activities Like Roller Skating and Rollerblading Stimulate the Brain
Roller skating and rollerblading requires a great deal of coordinating balance, strength, and sight. But which part of the brain allows skaters to pull off this balancing act? This harmony of physical coordination can be attributed to the cerebellum. The cerebellum, meaning “little brain” in Latin, is located at the back of the head and sits above where the spinal cord connects to the brain.
Research on the cerebellum asserts that the cerebellum plays a vital role in motor movement regulation and balance control. In other words, the cerebellum controls balance and muscle movement. This fine-tuning of the body’s movement is what enables an individual to do something as precise as using tiny brushstrokes while painting, or something as dynamic as zooming across the roller skating rink.
How Roller Skating and Rollerblading Affect the Body and Brain
Now you know which part of the brain allows one to move freely and finely–but what are the benefits of this sort of movement? Interestingly, activities like roller skating and rollerblading promote not only physical fitness, but promote brain health as well.
Circling the rink on your skates is an excellent source of cardiovascular exercise (exercise that elevates your heart rate). As previously mentioned, roller skating or rollerblading requires the coordination of many physical actions all at once. Sounds like a sure way to get the heart pumping!
How The Body Affects the Brain
While the brain can be exercised through activities like reading, crosswords, or even video games, physical exercise through something like cardio has been found to play a role in promoting brain health as well. According to a study by Tzu-Wei Lin, regular exercise can help improve psychiatric illnesses, brain injury recovery, and resisting neurodegenerative (conditions that gradually damage parts of your nervous system) disease.
Without physical exercise, the body and brain may become prone to more long-term health problems.
Conclusion
Roller skating and rollerblading are wonderful ways to spend time with friends, family, and are a great opportunity to learn how to do something new. As a form of exercise that gets the heart pumping, they stimulate both the brain and the body. This brain activation through exercise not only promotes physical health, but better brain function as well.