Western Vitality

I have always been involved in sports and physical activity. Growing up on a ranch naturally gave me a strong work ethic and a sturdy body. But it wasn’t until my freshman year of high school, when I picked up a volleyball for the first time and decided to try out for the team, that I began to understand the concept of purposefully getting stronger to improve performance.

At the time, my parents were going through a divorce, and volleyball quickly became my escape. I found myself attending zero-hour workouts before school and staying late after practice just to avoid being home. The more time I spent in the gym, the more I began to see myself change. My performance in volleyball and on horseback improved, and my confidence started to grow. Even though my home life wasn’t ideal, I was getting stronger, both mentally and physically, without even realizing it.

Fast forward another year: my parents finalized their divorce, and my mom moved my four siblings and me to a tiny town. We lived in my uncle’s basement, sharing just two bedrooms and one bathroom during the COVID-19 lockdown. As you can imagine, things were chaotic. But I kept working out. I stuck with the habit I’d built, doing at-home workouts with a pair of dumbbells my aunt had in her basement. Exercise became my constant, carrying me through those tough years.

I also want to mention a significant challenge I faced: during my sophomore year, I injured my L5 vertebra in a volleyball accident. From then on, I worked out and played with a brace. The injury persists to this day, but I’ve never stopped trying to get stronger. Recently, a doctor told me that because I’ve consistently exercised, my back muscles have essentially acted as a brace, protecting the injury from worsening. He was amazed I had managed to keep the condition stable for so long.

Let’s dive into some science, and I promise to keep it simple.

There’s a reason exercise is beneficial in so many ways. The science behind how exercise affects the brain explains why we feel invincible after a sweaty workout. Lukasz M. Konopka, Senior Executive Director of the Chicago Brain Institute, explains:

“Current studies have demonstrated that cardiovascular exercise causes significant biochemical changes in the brains of animals. The biochemical molecule, brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), causes the proliferation of neurons; vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) results in critical blood vessel growth; and insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) plays a significant role in exercise-induced angiogenesis—processes that are all enhanced by exercise.”

In simpler terms, exercise increases blood flow to the brain, improving its connections and networks. This boosts the brain’s capacity to learn, grow, and adapt. Exercise literally builds a stronger, healthier brain that is better equipped to handle stress.

So if you want to get smarter, reduce stress, learn better, or grow mentally and physically stronger, exercise! It’s impossible not to improve when you commit to it.

Exercise saved my life. It gave me strength to overcome abuse, hope when my family was falling apart, and purpose during my darkest moments. When I broke my back, it kept me strong enough to avoid further damage. As an adult, it helped me overcome my past and write my own future.

The incredible thing about exercise is that you’ll never regret it. No matter what’s going on in your life, when you pick up a weight or push through a tough workout, amazing things are waiting for you on the other side. You’ll always feel a little more confident than before.

So I beg you, find what you love. Whether it’s weightlifting, running, dancing, or something else, there’s a form of physical activity out there for everyone. And trust me, it will transform you into someone you never thought you could be. (Oh, and you’ll feel more confident in bed too, if you know what I mean!)

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References:

Konopka, L. M. (2015). How exercise influences the brain: A neuroscience perspective. Croatian Medical Journal, 56(2), 169–171. https://doi.org/10.3325/cmj.2015.56.169