A recent scientific study has shown that contracting abdominal muscles helps maintain brain health by increasing fluid flow to the brain and clearing it of toxins.
In an experiment conducted on laboratory mice, scientists discovered that even normal physical movements accompanied by abdominal muscle tension cause slight movements of the brain inside the skull. These movements were not related to breathing or heart rate, but rather to an increase in pressure in the abdominal cavity during muscle contraction.
The researchers discovered that the pressure travels through the vascular system that connects the abdominal cavity to the spine, affecting the brain as a mechanical impulse. This stimulates the movement of fluids in the brain, which may help clear tissues of waste products—materials that are formed during cellular activity and, when they accumulate, can impede normal brain function
Researchers assert that these mechanisms may play an important role in maintaining brain health, and their findings help explain why physical activity, even simple physical movements, are beneficial to brain function and its natural "cleaning" processes.
Many health experts point out that exercise improves the health of the heart, arteries, and nervous system in general, and helps prevent dementia and the decline of brain function.
