astic ity ▁is ▁the ▁process ▁by ▁which ▁neur ons ▁adapt ▁to ▁a ▁disturb ance ▁over ▁time , ▁and ▁most ▁often ▁occurs ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁repeated ▁expos ure ▁to ▁stim uli . ▁Aer ob ic ▁exercise ▁increases ▁the ▁production ▁of ▁ne uro t roph ic ▁factors ▁( e . g ., ▁B D NF , ▁I G F - 1 , ▁V EG F ) ▁which ▁medi ate ▁improvements ▁in ▁cogn itive ▁functions ▁and ▁various ▁forms ▁of ▁memory ▁by ▁prom oting ▁blood ▁vessel ▁formation ▁in ▁the ▁brain , ▁adult ▁ne uro gen esis , ▁and ▁other ▁forms ▁of ▁ne uro pl astic ity . ▁Cons istent ▁aer ob ic ▁exercise ▁over ▁a ▁period ▁of ▁several ▁months ▁indu ces ▁clin ically ▁significant ▁improvements ▁in ▁executive ▁functions ▁and ▁increased ▁gray ▁matter ▁volume ▁in ▁nearly ▁all ▁regions ▁of ▁the ▁brain , ▁with ▁the ▁most ▁marked ▁increases ▁occurr ing ▁in ▁brain ▁regions ▁that ▁give ▁rise ▁to ▁executive ▁functions . ▁The ▁brain ▁structures ▁that ▁show ▁the ▁greatest ▁improvements ▁in ▁gray ▁matter ▁volume ▁in ▁response ▁to ▁aer ob ic ▁exercise ▁are ▁the ▁pre front al ▁cor tex , ▁ca ud ate ▁nucle us , ▁and ▁hi pp oc amp us ; ▁less ▁significant ▁increases ▁in ▁gray ▁matter ▁volume ▁occur ▁in ▁the ▁anterior ▁c ing ulate ▁cor tex , ▁par iet al ▁cor tex , ▁c ere bell um , ▁and ▁nucle us ▁acc umb ens . ▁The ▁pre front al ▁cor tex , ▁ca ud ate ▁nucle us , ▁and ▁anterior ▁c ing ulate ▁cor tex ▁are ▁among ▁the ▁most