Understanding how Physical Activity Impacts Cognitive & Physiological Health
Within the Classroom Experiences
I completed PSYC 465: Health Psychology for my medical humanities minor in Fall 2024 and I learned that physical activity is one of the most important health promoting behaviors because it impacts both physiological and cognitive health. From my Module 4: Health Promoting Behavior notes, I learned that regular physical activity reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome, while also improving sleep, immune functioning, and overall well-being. One idea that stood out to me was that physical activity also promotes the growth of new neurons and supports cognitive functioning, which helped me understand its role in maintaining brain health and reducing the risk of cognitive decline. My notes also emphasize that people are more likely to exercise when they have higher self-efficacy, social support, and access to safe and convenient environments. At the time, I understood these as important factors, but I still thought of exercise mostly as something people choose to do if they are motivated enough.
However, this perspective was challenged by an article we studied in class on exercise psychology, which explained that physical activity behavior is not driven solely by rational decision making. The article highlighted that even though most individuals are aware of the health benefits of exercise, the majority still do not meet recommended activity levels. This is because behavior is also influenced by affect, meaning how exercise feels during and after participation. If physical activity is experienced as unpleasant or uncomfortable, individuals are less likely to continue it, even if they understand its long-term benefits. This idea introduced a new way of thinking about physical activity by showing that knowledge alone is not enough to change behavior. Instead, both cognitive factors, such as awareness of health benefits, and emotional factors, such as enjoyment and discomfort, interact to influence whether individuals maintain physical activity over time.
Beyond the Classroom Experiences: Discover USC 2026
My systematic review for the Discover USC 2026 conference using UK Biobank literature builded on these ideas and enhanced my knowledge on these concepts. My co-author and I examined how physical activity is associated with outcomes such as cardiovascular health, metabolic health, inflammation, brain health, cognitive impairment, dementia, and mental health disorders. Through this project, I was able to apply what I learned in class to large-scale research and see how physical activity is studied across populations. The UK Biobank is a large-scale dataset that includes over 500,000 participants in the United Kingdom, where researchers collect detailed health, lifestyle, and biological data through surveys, physical assessments, and objective measures such as accelerometers. This allowed researchers to track physical activity levels and directly link them to long-term physiological and cognitive outcomes. Across the literature we reviewed, a consistent trend was that higher levels of moderate to vigorous physical activity were associated with improved cardiovascular health, including lower blood pressure and reduced risk of heart disease, as well as improved metabolic health, such as better glucose regulation and reduced inflammation. These physiological improvements are important because they directly influence brain health by improving blood flow to the brain and reducing risk factors associated with neurodegeneration. What stood out to me was how strongly these physiological changes were connected to cognitive outcomes. The research consistently showed that individuals with higher physical activity levels had better cognitive performance, including improved memory, faster processing speed, and reduced risk of cognitive decline and dementia. This helped me understand that physical activity is not just beneficial for the body, but plays a critical role in maintaining brain function over time which was something not deeply discussed in class.
Another key trend was that these benefits were not limited to high levels of activity. The greatest improvements were often seen when individuals increased their activity from low to moderate levels, showing that even realistic changes in behavior can have significant effects on both physical and cognitive health. Another important difference from what I learned in class was how physical activity was measured. While class discussions often relied on general recommendations or self-reported behavior, the UK Biobank studies used accelerometer data, which provided more accurate and consistent measurements of actual movement. This made the findings more reliable and helped me understand the importance of objective data when studying behavior and health outcomes. At the same time, the exercise psychology article helped explain why these strong findings do not always translate into real-world behavior. Even though physical activity clearly improves both physiological and cognitive health, people often avoid or stop exercising because of negative experiences such as discomfort or lack of enjoyment. This helped me connect the gap between research and behavior, and it challenged my earlier assumption that people simply need more motivation or knowledge.
As a result of this experience, I now approach physical activity differently in both my academic thinking and my future goals. I understand that promoting physical activity requires more than telling people it is good for them. It requires understanding how people behave, what barriers they face, and how to make activity realistic and sustainable. In my future role as a family medicine physician, I plan to apply this knowledge in a practical way. Instead of giving general advice such as “exercise more,” I want to provide specific, achievable recommendations based on evidence. For example, I can encourage patients who are inactive to begin with moderate levels of activity, since the research shows that moving from low to moderate activity leads to meaningful improvements in cardiovascular, metabolic, and cognitive health. I also want to focus on helping patients find forms of physical activity that they enjoy, since the research shows that affect and experience play a major role in long-term adherence. This may include recommending activities that fit into their daily routines, encouraging social forms of exercise, or helping patients set small goals that build consistency over time. Additionally, I will use this knowledge to better support patients at higher risk for cognitive decline, especially older adults. By explaining that physical activity supports brain health, improves memory, and reduces the risk of dementia, I can help patients see exercise as something that benefits both their body and their mind. I now understand that physical activity is not just a lifestyle recommendation, but a clinically relevant and evidence-based intervention. Moving forward, I will use this perspective to provide more personalized, realistic, and effective guidance that helps patients incorporate physical activity into their lives in a way that is sustainable and meaningful and can proactively prevent chronic illnesses and improve cognitive health.