In a new study from the University of Georgia, researchers found that physical activity could help protect your cognitive abilities as you age.
And it doesn’t have to be an intense exercise to make an impact.
In the study, the team tested 51 older adults, tracking their physical activity and fitness measurements.
The participants performed tests specifically designed to measure cognitive functioning and underwent MRIs to assess brain functioning.
They also wore a device that measured the intensity of the wearer’s physical activity, the number of steps taken and distance covered.
The researchers assessed fitness through a six-minute walking test, during which participants walked as quickly as they could to cover the most distance possible within the time limit.
The brain is made up of a bunch of distinct networks. Those networks are in constant communication, sending information to each other.
But different parts of the brain are active at different times. The network that is active when the body is at rest, for example, flips off when a person starts trying to complete a task. At that time, another network kicks on.
While one of these networks is active, the other should be shut off. If it’s not, that’s a sign that a person’s brain isn’t functioning as well as it should be.
These networks are the key to being able to perform basic tasks in daily life, such as remembering important information and exhibiting self-control. But as people age, these tasks often become more difficult.
This study was the first to examine how these networks interact with physical activity and fitness to impact how the brain functions.
The team says it provides some evidence that when people whose brain networks aren’t functioning optimally engage in physical activity, there is improvement in their executive function and their independence.
If you care about brain health, please read studies about blood pressure drug that may repair blood vessels in brain, and findings of the best foods for brain health.
For more information about brain health, please see recent studies about high blood pressure in midlife that may increase brain damage, and results showing COVID-19’s impacts on the brain and mind are varied and common.
The study is published in Sport Sciences for Health and was conducted by Marissa Gogniat et al.
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