The Research is In: Exercise Key to Brain Health

In the movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, an older man on the porch castigates a young Jimmy Stewart, “Youth is wasted on the wrong people.” His complaint aims not only at Jimmy Stewart, whose physical vigor exceeds his life experience, but at himself, whose life experience exceeds his physical vigor. He feels his mind and body slowing down.

Some of us relate to the old man on the porch. Sure, we can’t stop getting older, but we can slow down our mind’s decline. A growing body of  research points to exercise as key to keeping our mind sharp as we age.

Perhaps the greatest fear of the Boomer generation is being afflicted with Alzheimer’s. In a study published in the journal BMC Public Health, researchers reviewed 150 research articles examining the impact of physical activity on Alzheimer’s. They concluded that physically active older people were significantly less likely to develop the disease compared to people who were inactive.

Of course, there’s more to brain health than avoiding Alzheimer’s. In a study published in the journal Cortex, researchers assessed the heart and lung fitness of older adults (aged 55 to 74) by testing their ability to remember the names of strangers in a photo. MRI scans recorded images of their brain activity as they learned the names. Older adults with high levels of heart and lung fitness did better on the test and showed more brain activity when learning new names than those of peers with lower levels of heart and lung fitness.

In a study published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society, researchers looked at the connection between weight-training and brain function. Researchers had 100 people aged 55 to 86, all with mild memory and thinking problems, train with weights twice a week for six months. Participants showed significant improvement in mental function, which lasted for more than a year.

So take heart. No matter your age or state of health, it’s never too late to exercise. The best exercise is the one you’ll do. If you love to walk, lace up your shoes. If dancing’s your thing, cut a rug. Like to golf? Bring your A game. You can tend your garden or renew your gym membership. The possibilities are endless. Whatever you do, aim to meet the American Heart Association’s recommendation of at least 150 minutes a week of moderate exercise or 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise,  or a combination.

Young people shouldn’t get a monopoly on the vigor of youth. They just waste it. You can be young in mind and body by making exercise part of your daily routine. Figure out what kind of movement you enjoy most and go for it!

Leave the Potatoes on the Couch: Exercise Key to Healthy Aging

If I haven’t worked out in years, is there any benefit to starting an exercise program now?

Absolutely yes. Whether you haven’t exerted yourself in quite a while, or never exercised, working out will make a huge difference.

In a paper published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, researchers studied 3454 people, average age 64, who were either inactive, moderately active (at least one moderate physical activity a week), or vigorously active (at least one vigorous activity a week). Those who became physically active, compared to those who remained inactive, were more than three times as likely to be “healthy agers.” Healthy aging was defined as (1) being free from major chronic disease; (2) having no major impairment of cognitive function; (3) having no major limitation of physical functions and (4) and having good mental health. One scientist said, “This research shows us that even if you don’t become active until later in life, your health will still benefit.” So don’t think it’s too late. You can reap huge benefits from exercise, no matter when you start.

First Let's Stretch a Minute

For generations, every sports team, gym class, and recreational athlete was told to stretch first thing. It was assumed that stretching prepped the muscles for better performance. Then research came out saying that static stretching, the kind where you hold the stretch for a while, actually reduces strength, speed, and power. So stretching has been getting a bad rap. Should we even bother?

In the March 2012 issue of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, Effect of Acute Static Stretch on Maximal Muscle Performance: A Systematic Review, researchers looked at 106 of the best studies concerning stretching. The researchers were particularly interested in whether the length of time spent stretching impacted strength, speed, and power. They concluded that in the large majority of studies, static stretches held for less than 60 seconds did not impact maximal physical performance. So go ahead and stretch, just don’t hold the stretch for more than a minute.

Strength Training Reduces the Risk of Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease

Lifting weights has benefits at any age. Lifting weights helps maintain muscle mass, protects joints from injury, combats osteoporosis, decreases body fat, reduces cognitive decline, and increases strength. Now research finds that strength training reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

Researchers followed 35,754 healthy women between the ages of 47 and 97. Women who lifted weights, compared to women who had not, experienced a reduced rate of type 2 diabetes of 30% and a reduced risk of 17% for cardiovascular disease. Women who lifted and engaged in aerobics had reduced risk for type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease compared to women who only participated in aerobic activity.

So be sure to lift weights along with your cardio, stretching, balance, and core exercises. A Certified Personal Trainer can create a comprehensive workout plan designed for your specific needs.