Consistency may be more important than intensity when it comes to getting the brain benefits of exercise, a new study finds. Staying physically active in adulthood is linked to better brain function later in life, including stronger memory.
Participating in physical activity at least once a month throughout adulthood makes a difference and is associated with higher cognitive scores at age 69. The more active people are through their adult years, the higher their cognitive scores.
In a longitudinal study published in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery & Psychiatry, researchers recorded more than 1,400 participants committed to physical activity five times between the ages of 36 and 69. They were categorized as inactive, moderately active (exercise one to four times per month). ), or most active (exercise five or more times per month). According to the study, the participants underwent various cognitive tests at the age of 69, testing attention and orientation, verbal fluency, memory, language, and visuospatial.
“Effect sizes were similar across all ages of adulthood, and for those who were moderately active or most physically active, it showed that being physically active at any time in adulthood, even if participating once a month, was associated with higher cognition,” they wrote. researcher.
Research has linked exercise to countless health benefits. Regular physical activity has been shown to reduce the risk of depression and can reduce symptoms of stress and anxiety—no more than it can reduce the risk of cognitive disorders like Alzheimer’s. Regular exercise is also associated with a lower risk of developing COVID-19 and severe illness from the virus. Exercise is also a preventative measure for burnout and can help people be more productive and present during the workday.
“It’s time to consider exercise as medicine,” Dr. Yasmin Ezzatvar, who has studied the health effects, said earlier. fortune.
Current guidelines in the US recommend 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity per week or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week—in addition to at least two days of strength training. This particular study does not promote one form of physical activity over another, but encourages any movement during leisure time, especially as people age.
“Being physically active at any time during adulthood, and anywhere, is associated with higher cognitive states, but maintenance of physical activity is optimal,” the researchers wrote.
The best way to stay in a physical activity routine is to do something you enjoy. “It can be done as part of work, sports and leisure or transportation,” Ezzatvar previously told fortune. “But also through dance, games and daily household chores, such as gardening and cleaning.”
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