9. Working out regularly may make you smarter now and lessen the possibility that you’ll lose brain function as you age. According to a recent animal study at the University of Illinois， exercise can actually help the brain develop new cells.
10. In several studies， regular weight training or aerobic exercise was shown to improve the quality and duration of sleep. Naturally， this can make you less fatigued and be able to function better during the day.
11. Like meditation， hobbies or any other leisure activity， exercise gives your mind a needed break from everyday thoughts， responsibilities and commitments.
Finally， there’s one more reason to keep exercising. When you work out regularly (but don’t overstrain)， your body simply， functions better—you are better， healthier and less likely to suffer painful physical conditions. And that just plain feels good.
眾所周知，鍛煉有益於身體健康。但是，許多人並沒有意識到鍛煉對智力也有好處。當然，我們不是說，練習舉重會一下子把你變成另一個愛因斯坦——研究表明，有規律的鍛煉能改善心境，提高自尊心，甚至增強大腦的功能。
就像身體和頭腦在健康方麵的其他關聯一樣，科學家們開始了解到，鍛煉身體為什麽能提高智力、改善情緒，但也知道了更多的可能性，新的研究還在繼續進行。對於那些致力於促進頭腦和身體不斷發展的人，這裏有12條新千年開始鍛煉計劃的附加理由。
1．鍛煉能給你帶來愉悅和成就感，並且，做某件明知對自己有好處的事，會增強你的自尊心。
2．鍛煉會使身體分泌內啡肽，這種物質能緩解痛苦，有助於產生所謂的運動快感。
3．練習舉重最能提高你的睾丸素水平，這樣有助於心境的改善，尤其是如果你的睾丸素水平天生較低。
4．哈佛大學精神病醫生、醫學博士約翰·瑞特是一本關於精神錯亂的、書名為《影子綜合征》的合著者。他認為，一次鍛煉就能提高大腦中抗憂鬱物質的含量，如多巴胺、血清素和去甲腎上腺素等。