Exercising In Groups Benefits Your Brain

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - If you want to exercise more, do it with friends and make sure it is something that is fun. That is according to a study which found that many people do better when they exercise with friends.

This is all based on a report where researchers studied rats and found that exercising in groups is better for the brain. They also found the effects of running on the generation of new brain cells in the brains of adult rats housed in groups and in isolation showed that those who ran in groups actually had more brain development than those who stayed by themselves.

Any competitive sport or, for that matter, exercise performed in groups has a similar outcome. If you review the literature in the Psychology of Sports Medicine you will see that activity in groups helps with exercise.

So, if you are having some trouble getting excited about exercise give this a try.

Reported By Dr. Brian McDonough, KYW Newsradio Medical Editor