Did you know, as we age our brains, quite literally, get smaller? That means we don’t feel as sharp, we’re slower to learn new things, and passwords and phone numbers need to be written down!
But that doesn’t have to be the end of the story. New research has shown that exercise can be a magic cure all to shrinking brains (and missing keys).
We’ve known for a while that exercise keeps your heart, lungs and circulation in good health, but it also increases the thickness of your brain’s cortex. That’s the outer layer of the brain that shrinks with age and is linked to memory loss.
In short, exercise makes your brain – and your mental sharpness – grow. Even people already suffering from conditions like dementia show improvement with exercise.
One of the researchers, Dr J. Carson Smith said, “Many people think it is too late to intervene with exercise once a person shows symptoms of memory loss, but our data suggest that exercise may have a benefit in this early stage of cognitive decline.”
Good for any fitness level
If you were never fit to begin with, it’s not too late – you can get moving and grow your brain. Begin slowly – you don’t want to injure those less-used muscles and joints, so little and often is the key.
If you’ve always been fit, here’s the good news – you’ll have kept your brain in fine fettle along with your heart and lungs. Aside from the odd pulled muscle, your body will thank you for it, too – more energy, and fewer aches and pains overall. Keep it up!
Get your heart racing
Really, anything that gets your heart racing is good, but of course, any exercise needs to be balanced against the health of the rest of your body. Walking and swimming are always good, low-impact choices, as long as you’re going at a pace that gets your heart nicely pumping. Pilates is also great for improving fitness, but one study found that people who used weights in their exercise really got results.
That doesn’t mean entering a body building competition – just pick up a couple of small dumbbells (or tins of tomato sauce!) and settle into a sturdy chair. It’s a good idea to change up your routine regularly – if you did arm strengthening yesterday, give those muscles time to rest today and work on your aerobic fitness.
Enjoy a better life – and memory
With a strength routine two or three times a week and aerobic exercise in between, you’ll gradually get stronger and able to do more – and your memory will improve.
Don’t know where to start? Ask around your local rec centre or gym – there’ll be plenty of fun groups or classes you can join.
There’s no reason why catching up with a friend or two can’t be part of your brain-health regime. You may not be able to talk during your aerobic workouts, but there’s always that tea and gossip afterwards to look forward to.