We might be getting older but exercise can help our aging brains. Exercise works wonders for our mental and physical health. And, if you’re feeling as if your memory is not as good as it once was, Gretchen Reynolds reports for The New York Times on a new study showing that regular mild exercise can help.
Yes, even walking at a good clip several times a week can strengthen memory or reverse cognitive decline. The researchers studied middle-aged and older adults who showed signs of memory loss. After walking frequently for a year, their cognitive scores improved.
The researchers believe that regular exercise helps ensure that blood is flowing at a good clip to your brain. A healthy blood flow means your brain’s neurons are getting the oxygen and nutrients they need. It should have benefits for people with mild or serious memory issues.
Older people typically have less blood flow to their brains. As you age, the less you exercise, the more likely that your arteries harden
Unfortunately, it’s pretty typical for people to experience declines in the flow of blood to their brains with age. Exercise helps keep arteries from stiffening and hearts from weakening so that blood flow declines more slowly. Arteries can become less stiff from exercise. Active people, even when at rest, tend to have better memories and thought processes than people who are sedentary.
Over the course of a year, the study looked at changes in memory and thought processes of 70 people who were 55 and older and had a diagnosis of mild cognitive impairment. Half of the study participants were expected to exercise more than they had been exercising–usually walking for 30 minutes five times a week–in a way that increased their heart rates. The other half were expected to engage in stretching and toning exercises without increasing their heart rates.
The group that engaged in aerobic exercise did better on executive function–planning and decision-making tests–than the group that stretched and toned. But both groups saw their memories and thinking improve some. The study did not determine that aerobic exercise would have greater beneficial effects than stretching, but the researchers assume so.
The better the blood flow to the brain, the better your recall and thinking ability.
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