It turns out that physical exercise is not only good for the body, it's good for the brain.
That's an important consideration for Baby Boomers who worry about aging's effect not only on their bodies but their minds as well.
As a group we're assaulted with all kinds of come-ons about how to protect our brains from the onset of dementia. The latest marketing effort is pushing online and video games and exercises aimed specifically at Boomers and seniors.
But a research study says if you're going to do some aerobic exercise to keep the weight down and control the cholesterol and high blood pressure, you're also doing your brain -- specifically your hippocampus -- a world of good.
"Our results clearly indicate that higher levels of aerobic fitness are associated with increased hippocampal volume in older humans, which translates to better memory function," concludes the abstract of the study published this month in the science journal "Hippocampus".
The study, which was funded by the National Institute on Aging, looked whether individuals with higher levels of aerobic fitness displayed greater volume of the hippocampus and better spatial memory performance than individuals with lower fitness levels.
It's important to note that the hippocampus region of the brain is largely responsible for long term memory and spatial navigation. With memory loss and disorientation it is the region of the brain most affected by Alzheimer's.
The study looked at 165 adults 55 and older who had no evidence of dimentia and used MRIs to measure the size of their hippocampi.
"... higher fitness levels were associated with larger left and right hippocampi," the study abstract noted.
Yes, keep doing those crosswords and Sudoku and whatever other brain stimulation you prefer.
But go get sweaty -- or at least get that heart rate up. Your hippocampus will thank you.
Related story:
Yoga grows in popularity among Baby Boomers
Comments
We have known for some time that physical exercise is critical to cardiac health. Research is now beginning to underscore a similar value for physical exercise to brain health! Indeed, a 2006 study by Colcombe and colleagues found that as little as three hours a week of brisk walking (aerobic exercise) increases blood flow to the brain and may trigger neurochemical changes that increase production of new brain cells. The regions of the brain most affected by the aerobic exercise included the frontal lobes (important for complex thinking, reasoning, and attention) and the corpus collosum (the bundle of white matter that bridges the two sides of the brain).
www.fitbrains.com
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