Final answer:
It is true that heart-healthy activities are also good for the brain, as exercise helps enhance cardiovascular function which benefits brain oxygenation and function, and aerobic exercises support neurogenesis and cognitive functions.
Step-by-step explanation:
It is true that activities which are good for your heart are also beneficial for your brain. Regular physical activity, particularly aerobic exercise, improves cardiovascular health, which in turn enhances your brain's function. This can be attributed to an increased efficiency in how the heart pumps blood to the brain, thereby providing it with more oxygen necessary for normal functioning. Thus, a healthy heart is closely linked to a healthy brain.
Engaging in mental activities such as solving puzzles, reading, or playing musical instruments keeps the brain active. Similarly, physical exercise aids in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease by lowering cholesterol levels, increasing the removal of LDLs, and decreasing the rate of plaque formation in the arteries. All these factors contribute to both heart and brain health.
Activities that keep the heart healthy, like regular aerobic exercises that raise the heart rate, have been found to support neurogenesis and are key in maintaining memory and learning functions. Hence, both physical and mental exercises are critical in keeping the nervous system healthy.