Brain Health and Physical Activity

As the average life span increases in the United States more and more people are concerned with “staying sharp” as they get older.  People are spending more on items and activities promising to prevent the decline of cognition.  Games such as BrainAge and Luminosity, who market themselves as improving cognitive function, are becoming more popular as people increase their efforts to retain their level of executive functioning.

            Research from the University of Texas at Dallas found that engaging in exercise as part of a physical fitness regimen helps adults improve their memory and brain health, along with physical health. The physical training group participated in supervised aerobic exercise on either a treadmill or a stationary bike for one hour, three times a week over the course of 12 weeks. The results showed exercisers who improved their memory performance also showed greater increase in brain blood flow to the hippocampus, which is the critical region of the brain affected by Alzheimer’s disease. Moreover, there was an increase in brain blood flow at the anterior cingualate, signifying higher metabolic rate and neuronal activity.

In October, Art Kramer from the University of Illinois, Champagne came to Loyola University to give a presentation on cognitive function in relation to physical exercise. In the presentation, one of the things he mentioned was the fact that it is never too late to start exercising. He discussed one athlete in particular, Olga Kotelko, who started working out at the age of 75 and now has 25 world records at the age of 91. He also elaborated on the types of physical activity that improve brain function. Although more studies have been done on aerobic exercise, Kramer cited studies that do show resistance training could also bring the same benefits.  

“Physical exercise may be one of the most beneficial and cost-effective therapies widely available to everyone to elevate memory performance,” said Sandra Chapman,Ph.D. Given this information more adults should use this as motivation to fit a physical exercise regimen into their everyday lives. It will end up being much more beneficial to them as they get older and become elders.  A little time in the gym now, could be the difference between a hazy memory in the future compared to retaining the sharpness of a 20 year old at the age of 70. 

References:

Grohol, John M. "Physical, Mental Exercises Can Improve Brain Health & Memory | Psych Central News." Psych Central.com. N.p., 13 Nov. 2013. Web. 11 Dec. 2013.