Never Stop Exercising

Why should physical activity be a lifelong endeavor? Simple: The health and wellness benefits attributed to consistent exercise are profound, to say the least. But don’t think you can stop when you’re older, or that starting when you’re in your golden years won’t do any good. In fact, just the opposite is true, according to research; specifically when it comes to preserving your memory.

In analyzing data from more than 35 studies involving almost 3,000 older adults, researchers found that aerobic exercise helps episodic memory – your ability to remember past events; one of the first aspects of memory to decline with age – when performed three times a week for four months. What’s more, greater improvements in memory were seen among study participants aged 55-68 years.

Published in Communications Medicine, the research analysis also found that episodic memory improvements weren’t significant in participants ages 69 to 85, hinting that early exercise intervention is better – presumably before cognitive decline has begun.

You can’t fight Father Time, but you can do everything possible to enjoy the ride! Keeping your body and brain in tip-top shape is one way to do it, and as this study suggests, the two are intimately connected. Exercise = body health = brain health; it’s as simple as that.