The reason we workout is almost always body-related. We want to slim down, to get abs, to bench more, to run further. All in all, we want to look better and feel fitter. Not as often do we consider the other benefits to exercise, or at least, it’s not the other benefits that drive our physical feats.

There’s this common — yet ridiculous — view that gym rats are strong yet stupid, while nerds are smart but fragile. That stereotype is incredibly misleading and leads to people thinking they can only have one or the other, which couldn’t be further from the truth. In reality, exercise boosts the brain, and in no small way, either. Exercise boosts the production of a protein called Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor, of BDNF, which is essential to the growth and strengthening of neurons. Quartz has more:

Exercise encourages the long-term growth of hippocampal cells by immediately increasing levels of a key growth factor in the hippocampus called Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor.

These brain effects of exercise also have implications for our search for that magic “smart” pill we hope will make us more productive, successful, and—if you believe the Bradley Cooper film “Limitless”—a lot sexier as well. What if the real magic does not come in the form of a pill, but in the form of an exercise regime?

The truth is, if you want to be fit and sexy, you should work out; but, if you also want to be smart and maintain a powerful brain well into your later years, you should workout. To sum up, you need to workout. Check out the full post on Quartz for more.

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