The maxim “movement is medicine” exists for a reason. When done safely and properly, physical activity can boost your mood, bone health and more.
While the connection between exercise and, say, muscle development is apparent, some of its benefits are less obvious. One of these relates to brain health.
Research shows that exercise can lower your risk of dementia and help with your overall brain function. And now, a study published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine journal found even more reason to get moving for the sake of your brain.
Researchers discovered that recent physical activity helped participants take in and understand information faster — what’s known as cognitive-processing speed.
The study included 204 people between the ages of 40 and 65. For a week, they checked in with researchers six times a day, or about every 3.5 hours. During these check-ins, participants reported their recent physical activity and completed short cognitive assessments that measured their cognitive-processing speed and so-called working memory, the brain’s short-term storage.
What makes this study interesting, though, is that participants didn’t just report structured fitness activities like cycling, jogging and tennis; they also tracked everyday movements like playing with their kids or going for walks. Physical activity was rated as light, moderate or vigorous.
Experts found that all levels of physical activity, from doing chores to going for a brisk run, were good for brain function. While the study didn’t find that this was linked to more accurate working memory, those who engaged in physical activity in the hours before a check-in showed improvements in cognitive-processing speed equivalent to being four years younger.
So, yes, there’s likely a reason why it can feel harder to get work done after sitting at your desk for hours and hours with no break.
One limitation of this study is that participants self-reported their physical activity levels, which could leave room for error. The number of participants was also pretty small, but experts agree with the findings nonetheless.
“The study … affirms the long-held understanding that exercise is beneficial for the brain, and it improves brain function,” Dr. S. Ausim Azizi, a professor and section chief of behavioral neurology at the Yale School of Medicine, told HuffPost via email.
“The results showed that individuals who were physically active performed better in these cognitive tests, demonstrating [that the] human brain is plastic,” Azizi added. Neuroplasticity is the ability of the brain to change, and it can help you learn as you age, according to the Mayo Clinic.
