Although you probably know that regular exercise will strengthen and protect your body, you might be surprised to learn that these payoffs can also apply to your brain. While scientists don't yet fully understand all the mechanisms involved, research shows that physical activity enhances cognitive health. The following are a few of the remarkable findings on how physical activity benefits the brain.

Create new brain cells

As you age, your brain naturally loses neurons, the cells that make up the brain and nervous system. Over time, this loss can affect various aspects of memory and cognitive ability. The good news? Your brain continues to make new neurons, even into old age. The adult brain produces new neurons in the hippocampus daily.1 The hippocampus is the brain structure that plays an important role in learning information, storing long-term memories, and regulating emotions.

Cardiovascular exercise causes the release of a variety of chemicals, including nerve and brain growth factors, that keep neurons alive. Because your heart rate and blood flow increase, more oxygen and nutrients are delivered to your brain, which keeps your brain cells healthy. This increased blood flow creates new neurons in the brain – a process called neurogenesis.2 Exercise increases neurogenesis, which can help your brain function better.1,2 

Protect your gray matter 

Brain gray matter contains the brain's neuronal cell bodies. It plays a significant role in all aspects of human life, including muscle control, memory, emotions, speech, decision making, self-control, and sensory perception like seeing and hearing.3 With aging, the brain often loses volume and shrinks – a key factor in cognitive decline.4 

Research confirms an association between cardiovascular fitness and the structure of the brain.5 One study tracked 2,103 adults, ages 21-84, for five years. Researchers gauged participants' fitness levels with peak oxygen uptake measurements while pedaling at various intensities on a stationary exercise bike. They used magnetic resonance imaging to monitor changes in participants' gray matter.

The researchers found that increased levels of peak oxygen uptake – the maximum rate of oxygen consumption measured during exercise – were strongly associated with increased gray matter volume. The study results indicate that cardiovascular exercise may contribute to brain health and slow down the decline in gray matter.5 

Reduce your risk of dementia

Physical exercise might help to reduce the risk of dementia and can help individuals who have cognitive decline function better.6-8

A study examined the association between exercise and its effect on the aging process and cognition.6  The researchers compared data from 52 older adults, grouping them as high or low risk of mild cognitive impairment based on a cognitive assessment. They defined mild cognitive impairment as the stage between healthy aging and dementia. The aim of the study was to determine if exercise could delay or reverse the progress toward dementia. Over a 12-week period the study participants were either assigned a twice per week lower limb resistance training program or placed in a control group. 

The study found that individuals who moved more improved response time on mathematical and memory tests, reinforcing that exercise positively affects cognition.6

Enhance learning

When you exercise, you stimulate the neurons in the part of your brain that positively influence the creation of new brain cells.1,2 Although scientists don't fully understand how physical activity contributes to learning, they are discovering that it works.1  Children ages 6 to 13 years have shown improved performance on academic achievement tests when taken after a session of moderate-to-vigorous activity.8,9 Other studies have found that exercise benefits working memory in late life.10

Sharpen memory and reduce brain fog

"Brain fog” isn’t a medical condition. It’s a term that describes symptoms that affect your ability to think. You may feel confused, forgetful, or disorganized, or find it hard to focus or put your thoughts into words. Exercise might be one tool to help reduce brain fog.

One study found that physical activity helped participants build measurable increases in the hippocampus.11 Exercise also seems to promote neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to form new neural connections and adapt throughout life. One of the key places that happens is in the hippocampus.11

Other studies showed that individuals with better cardiovascular fitness had better brain function in middle-age and reduced rates of cognitive decline.10,12,13 

Fight depression and feel better

Treatment for depression usually requires more than just exercise, but walking and other moderate aerobic exercise can help stabilize your mood and ease depressive symptoms.8,9 Studies have also found that regular exercise helps people better control stress and regulate their emotions.13,14 Researchers have concluded that physical activity  – regardless of the amount of time spent being sedentary – lowers the risk of depressive symptoms in adults.8,13,14

What exercise is best to build a healthy brain? 

You don't need to become a fitness fiend to reap the brain benefits of physical activity. Just walking briskly for 30-60 minutes, 3-5 times a week, contributes to measurable brain improvements.  Some studies suggest that even exercising less than the recommended amount can benefit your brain.7,8,13,15,16

Evidence suggests that resistance training (pushups, planks, squats, lifting weights) and aerobic exercise (walking, running, biking, swimming) can help your brain more than stretching exercises.6,13,16,17 In one study, older adults with mild cognitive impairment who participated in strength training and exercise-based video games twice a week improved cognitive function, as well as muscle tone.17

Your brain is amazing. Billions of nerve cells work together in harmony to coordinate every second of your life: your movements, behavior, thoughts, memories, and emotions. Even though your workout might be focused on building bigger biceps or improving your overall fitness, your efforts are also helping build a healthier brain.

A word from Thorne 

In addition to exercise, consider nutrients to support a healthy brain, such as Thorne’s Brain Factors or Memoractiv.*

References

  1. Abdissa D, Hamba N, Gerbi A. Review article on adult neurogenesis in humans. Transl Res Anat 2020;20.
  2. Guadagni V, Drogos LL, Tyndall AV, et al. Aerobic exercise improves cognition and cerebrovascular regulation in older adults. Neurology. 2020;94(21):e2245-e2257.
  3. Mercadante AA, Tadi P. Neuroanatomy, Gray Matter. [Updated 2019 Dec 30]. StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jul. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK553239/Armstrong NM, Yang AN, Shin JJ, et.al. Associations between cognitive and brain volume changes in cognitively normal older adults. Neuroimage. 2020;223:1172-89.
  4. Wittfeld K, Jochem C, Dörr M, et al. Cardiorespiratory fitness and gray matter volume in the temporal, frontal, and cerebellar regions in the general population. Mayo Clin Proc. 2020; 95(1):44-56.
  5. Vints WAJ, Gökçe E, Šeikinaitė J, et al. Resistance training’s impact on blood biomarkers and cognitive function in older adults with low and high risk of cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial. Eur Rev Aging Phys Act. 2024;10(21):9.
  6. Morey MC. Physical activity and exercise in older adults. UpToDate. https://www-uptodate-com.mclibrary.idm.oclc.org/contents/physical-activity-and-exercise-in-older-adults?search=exercise%20and%20cognition&source=search_result&selectedTitle=1%7E150&usage_type=default&display_rank=1#H4894234. [Accessed July 12, 2024]
  7. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. 2nd ed. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, 2nd edition. https://health.gov/sites/default/files/2019-09/Physical_Activity_Guidelines_2nd_edition.pdf#page=39. [Accessed July 13, 2024]
  8. Physical Activity Basics: Benefits of Physical Activity. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/physical-activity-basics/benefits. [Accessed July 13, 2024]
  9. Ludyga, S, Gerber M, Kamijo K. Exercise types and working memory components during development. Trends Cogn Sci. 2022;26(3):191-203.
  10. de Sousa Fernandes MS, Ordônio TF, Santos GCJ, et al. Effects of physical exercise on neuroplasticity and brain function: A systematic review in human and animal studies. Neural Plast. 2020:1-21.
  11. España-Irla G, Gomes-Osman, J, Cattaneo, G, et al. Associations between cardiorespiratory fitness, cardiovascular risk, and cognition are mediated by structural brain health in midlife. J Am Heart Assoc. 2021;10: e020688.
  12. Han Z, Zhang L, Ma M, et al. Effects of MicroRNAs and long non-coding RNAs on beneficial action of exercise on cognition in degenerative diseases: a review. Mol Neurobiol. 2024 Jun 13. doi: 10.1007/s12035-024-04292-4
  13. Tang L, Zhang L, Liu Y, et al. Optimal dose and type of exercise to improve depressive symptoms in older adults: a systematic review and network meta-analysis. BMC Geriatr. 2024;24(1):505.
  14. Yuan, Y, Yang, Y, Hu X, et al. Effective dosage and mode of exercise for enhancing cognitive function in Alzheimer’s disease and dementia: a systematic review and Bayesian model-baed network meta-analysis of RCTs. BMC Geriatr. 2024;24(1): 480.
  15. Gallardo-Gómez D, Del Pozo-Cruz, J, Noetel M, et al. Optimal dose and type of exercise to improve cognitive function in older adults: A systematic review and bayesian model-based network meta-analysis of RCTs. Ageing Res Rev. 2022;(76).
  16. Esmaeilzadeh S, Kumpulainen S, Pesola A. Strength-cognitive training: a systemic review in adults and older adults, and guidelines to promote “strength exergaming” innovations. Front Psychol. 2022;13: 855703.