How Exercise Can Make Your Brain Fit
A recent study into exercise, memory and aging may offer you further incentive to maintain a regular workout regime beyond achieving weight loss.
Scientists from Maryland have added to the growing body of evidence that suggests regular exercise is associated with enhanced cognitive function.
Getting fit and improved gaining memory function
The new study published in The Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society found a single workout had a rapid effect on the participant’s brain activity and over time, the brain’s memory centre became fitter, just like any other muscle.
Until recently, it was believed the adult human brain was reality fixed in its structure and function when compared to the muscle which can grow and shrink depending on how it is maintained. Newer evidence shows that the adult brain can, in fact, reshape and rewire itself in response to our lifestyle.
Exercise has been found to have a positive influence on our brain
Exercise is one lifestyle factor that has been known to positively influence our brain. Long-term, regular physical activity has been found to improve aspects of people’s thinking and increase the volume of the brain’s hippocampus.
In an earlier study, the same Maryland scientists also found exercise to have a positive effect on the brain’s involvement in semantic memory processing.
Semantic memory refers to the general world and cultural knowledge we have accumulated during our lives. It includes such things as the name of colours, capital cities, types of food and the sound of letters. As we age, our semantic memory is often one of the first to fade.
However, the researcher’s 2013 study found just 12 weeks of treadmill walking altered portions of the brain that is involved in semantic memory. Reduced activity was seen during semantic-memory testing which is desirable as it suggests the brain is more efficient at processing and requires fewer resources as a result of the exercise.
How a single workout affects the brain’s semantic memory function
Wanting to understand the effect a single workout has on the brain’s sematic-memory processing, the Maryland researchers decided to conduct another study.
Twenty-six healthy men and women aged between 55 and 85 years old were recruited to undertake two experiments on two separate days. At each visit, the participants would either engage in a 30-minute workout on a stationary exercise bike or rest. The workout was designed to stimulate the participants but exhaust them.
To test the brain activity, the participants watched names randomly displayed on a computer screen while lying in an M.R.I brain scanning machine. Some names were lifted from the local phone book, while others were those of celebrities as famous names are an important aspect of semantic memory.
The participant’s overall brain activity and portions involved in semantic memory were tracked as they pressed a button when they recognised the famous names and another button when the name was unfamiliar.
J. Carson Smith, associate professor of kinesiology and director of the Exercise for Brain Health Laboratory at the University of Maryland School of Public Health who oversaw the study expected reduced activity in the areas of the brain required for semantic memory processing as seen in the previous study.
However, this did not occur. Instead, the activity in the areas of the brain most involved in semantic memory in the participants who exercised, heightened considerably when compared to when they rested.
Dr Smith says while at first, this result was a surprise, the researchers realised they were watching the beginning of normal training response. Just as when you first begin to exercise, your muscles strain and work hard burning through energy. As you gain fitness, the muscle response is much more efficient, utilising less energy for the same level of work.
Researchers suspect exercise makes the brain fitter
The researchers believe the brain’s response to exercise is similar to that of the muscles. Acute exercise increases the brain’s neural activation and may instigate tissue remodelling and improved function after repeated exercise sessions.
In other words, regular exercise may make your brain’s memory centre fitter.
This recent study was only short-term with a small number of participants and neglects to explain how exercise alters the brain. However, Dr Smith believes the surge in particular neurotransmitters and biochemicals of the brain after working out must have a role to play.
This, along with the best types and duration of exercise to help us maintain our semantic memory processing, will be reserved for future studies.
For now, you can be happy to know regular exercise has the potential to positively affect our memory and improve the overall fitness of our brain.
Will Your Medical Insurance Cover Cosmetic Surgery?
You want to have cosmetic surgery, but can you afford it? What’s more, does your private health fund cover all of or any of your desired operation? A significant consideration when it comes to cosmetic surgery is the expense. Knowing where you stand financially is one of the first things you should work out. Here’s how.
Check your cover
First off, check the terms and conditions of your insurance. Your policy documents will list included procedures. If the information isn’t that obvious, the general rule of thumb is that a procedure must be deemed ‘necessary’ for health reasons and referred to as reconstructive surgery.
Which surgeries are ‘necessary’?
The Medicare Benefits Schedule or MBS is an online list of all the surgeries and treatments that are covered or subsidised by the Australian Government. If your desired procedure is not on the MBS list and has no Medicare Item Number, it’s unlikely that a private provider will pay out. However, if the process is listed, you can ask your private provider to contribute to the costs.
Examples of reconstructive and therefore covered surgeries include cleft palate, skin grafts, scar treatment, facial reconstruction and some necessary breast surgeries. For instance, if a lady has breast cancer and needs breast reconstruction involving implants.
How much will be covered?
Again, this is very much down to your policy and terms. Some conditions or treatments are deemed elective and therefore only partially covered by insurance, in which case the onus is on you to make up the difference. The terms of your coverage might, for example, state that they will cover the surgeon’s fees but not the costs of the theatre or other staff in attendance.
When enquiring, make sure to ask if your Private Health Fund has a contractual relationship with a hospital. Going elsewhere could void coverage or increase personal cost.
Special cases and circumstances
It’s always worth speaking to your provider in case of leniency or exceptional circumstances that might affect your ability to claim. For instance, mega liposuction, as offered at Cosmos Clinic, can remove up to 15 litres of fat. This procedure is a health requirement for patients who are morbidly obese. While it immediately shifts weight, it also places patients on the right track to start a new, healthy lifestyle including the ability to exercise which might previously have been impossible or too painful to consider.
Contact our friendly staff to find out more about the range of liposuction procedures and other surgeries at Cosmos Clinic.
Breast Reduction Surgery – When is Lipo the Answer?
Excessively large breasts often come with a myriad of problems and discomforts. If your bust is on the extra-large end of the scale, you will be familiar with the struggle to find comfortable bras that fit and to find clothing that fits properly. Large breasts can affect self-confidence, even standing up straight causes self-consciousness and discomfort for some women. Large breasts often make exercising difficult and cause poor posture and back, neck and shoulder pain. Women with large breast are also predisposed to yeast infections beneath and between the breasts.
Top 10 Things About Breast Augmentation You Should Know
Thinking about undergoing a breast enlargement, revision or lift?
Breast augmentation is one of the most popular cosmetic treatments, accounting for 15.8% of the world’s cosmetic surgical procedures. Chances are you know someone who has had implants or a lift. You’ve probably read plenty of information and advice on the internet, and you may have already consulted with a cosmetic practitioner.
But there are several facts about your breast augmentation surgery that you’re likely not to know. This information isn’t often shared on websites and online forums, nor is it commonly disclosed by cosmetic practitioners or plastic surgeons.
To ensure you have all the information about undergoing breast augmentation surgery, we want to share the top 10 things you may not know about the procedure.
- You’ll need more than one operation
Unfortunately, breast implants aren’t designed to last even if that’s what your surgeon implies. A large percentage of implants leak after ten years, so for your health and well-being, they’ll need to be replaced periodically.
- There’s a high chance scar tissue will grow
In up to 80 percent of cases, patients will grow scar tissue around the implants. For some, this scar tissue won’t be obvious, but for others it can cause the breasts to become firm and even painful to touch. This is known as capsular contracture and treated through a capsulotomy procedure to remove the scar tissue. However, even after the scar tissue has been removed there is no guarantee it won’t grow back.
- Multiple breast surgeries can increase internal scarring
Revision breast surgery needs to be performed carefully as multiple surgeries increases your risk of internal scarring. Why is internal scarring serious? Internal scarring can impair the blood supply which can have a huge impact on how well you heal from the surgery. It’s vital an experienced surgeon is performing the breast augmentation to help reduce your risk.
- You may not get the desired results with a belly button to breast augmentation
In the 90’s Trans-Umbilical Breast Augmentation was very popular as a quick way to enlarge breasts through a small incision in the belly button. However, that’s not the case anymore. With the shift to silicone implants it was difficult to fit them into such a small incision without more pressure than the manufacture’s advised. Additionally, the blunt technique that was used and with the surgeon working a distance from the breast, it didn’t produce as good a result as traditional breast augmentation surgery.
- Teardrop implants often move out of place
Teardrop breast implants mimic the natural breast shape with the implant having more fullness in the lower half. This shape of implant is often advised for those with lower body fat, lower positioned nipples or patients who are seeking a natural look.
While they may produce a natural appearance which is preferable, they are more difficult to position than round implants and are prone to moving. If they are displaced, you’ll require revision surgery to correct the position. If round implants move on the other hand, the shape of your breasts won’t be affected.
- Breast augmentation with fat has less complications and is more natural
Breast augmentation using the patient’s own fat is increasing in popularity due to the natural results and the reduced risk of complications. As a bonus, patients are also able to remove some of the fat from a region of their own body such as thighs or buttocks to increase their breast size.
Although breast augmentation using fat instead of implants is a popular technique, there are some facts that you should keep in mind. Firstly, there’s no guarantee the fat placed in your breasts will survive the transfer. If the fat doesn’t survive you may need revision surgery and the dead fat cells can cause calcifications which may be difficult to access and can be confused with cancerous cells.
Secondly, you are limited with the amount of fat that can be injected into the breast so you may only be able to increase your breasts by one or two cup sizes. This is because the more fat you transfer, the greater the incidence of fat necrosis.
Thirdly, the overall appearance of breast augmentation with fat is subtler than using implants. If you’re looking for perkier, fuller and more youthful breasts, implants may be more suitable.
- Breast implants require monitoring
As there is a risk of silent rupturing of the implant, it is recommended you continually monitor your breasts after the surgery. The only way to detect a leak is through a MRI screening. Depending on your individual circumstance, this may or may not be covered by health insurance.
- Breast implants can potentially mask breast cancer
Even with the latest and most sophisticated imaging technology, there is a potential breast cancer can be masked by the breast implants. This is because the position of the implants can cover some of the breast tissue. Where the implant is positioned under the pectoralis muscles, up to 15 percent of the tissue is covered. This is higher when the implant is position over the muscle, thus the chance of the cancer being missed is greater.
While the statistics reveal women with breast implants experience a lower incidence of breast cancer, this is simply due to the fact they are typically monitored more regularly.
- You may not be able to breastfeed
Breast augmentation surgery with implants may slightly reduce your ability to breastfeed. However, many women with implants have gone on to successfully breastfed their infants without any complication.
- Larger implants come with greater complications
Bigger is not always better in the world of breast implants. Surgeons who agree to insert breast implants larger than what is suitable for the individual are often met with greater complications such as rippling and skin stretching. This will eventually result in breasts looking deformed and will require revision surgery.
As a general rule, the bigger the breast implants, the sooner you’ll require a breast lift. Breast lift surgery is a more involved surgery than an augmentation and will result in more visible scarring. Ensuring the size of the implants are suitable for your body type is important to avoid or postpone this surgery.
Related Procedures:
Breast Fat Transfer (Gold Coast)
Differences between VASER and Laser Liposuction Results
You’ll most likely hear about VASER liposuction from your surgeon’s recommendations or from previous patients.
VASER liposuction is a popular body contouring procedure that is favoured by surgeons as its more efficient alternative to laser liposuction.
This guide will present information and knowledge about VASER liposuction to prospective patients.
While this guide may help you to learn more about the procedure, you should not make a decision based on this article alone. Always have several consultations with your surgeon before making a final decision.
Best Body Contouring Treatments: A Short Guide
Looking forward to getting a better-looking and toned body for your personal goals?
There are plenty of body sculpting options out there to help you meet your goals but choosing the right one for you is confusing.
Men’s Guide to Liposuction: Facts and Info Sheet
Thanks to advances in cosmetic surgery technology and social acceptance, men no longer have to worry about being strangers to cosmetic surgery.
In 2016, over 1.3 million men undergo some kind of cosmetic surgery in the US alone; factor in other locations and you have a number that is increasing steadily year by year.
How Much Weight Can You Lose With Liposuction?
Liposuction has become a popular procedure among men and women worldwide.
In 2016, there was a 3% growth in the total cosmetic procedures in the US alone which brings that number to a massive 17.1 million cosmetic procedures done in that year.
Nose Jobs for Small Noses: A Fact Sheet for Patients
Rhinoplasty is one of the more popular cosmetic surgeries worldwide with over 250,000 procedures performed in the US alone last year.
During a rhinoplasty procedure, the bone (and cartilage) of the nose is sculpted to meet a patient’s goal and expectation. Also known as a “nose job”, the procedure allows patients who are not satisfied with their nose shape (such as individuals who want nose jobs for small noses) and size to sculpt it for cosmetic reasons. (more…)
Liposuction: A Complete Guide by Cosmos Clinic
Our team of experts over at Cosmos Clinic have put a guide for our readers to understand more about liposuction.
At the end of this guide, you’ll have a better understanding of what liposuction is and you’ll be able to make a more informed decision in the future.