Exercise your Way to Better Memory

This article was written by Baseline of Health Foundation

Feeling a little sluggish physically and mentally? Get a little active and help both issues! Did you know that aerobic exercise can not only help you lose weight in all the right places but also gain something in one very important place: your brain? A region of your brain that is essential to memory has been shown in a recent study to actually increase in volume after getting regular cardiovascular exercise.


The research, which took place at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, demonstrated that when older people committed to a walking routine for a year, the hippocampus area of the brain -- which typically loses some mass over time as we age -- actually increased in size.

The researchers put half of the 120 study participants, all between the ages of 55 and 80, through their paces. They went from a sedentary lifestyle to a walking routine, steadily increasing the frequency and duration of their walks. This group worked their way up to 40 minutes at a time, three times per week, which was enough to ensure an elevated heart rate. The remaining 60 participants focused on weight training, yoga, and stretching activities for 40 minutes, three times each week, with no cardiovascular exercise included.

After a year, those in the toning group experienced the loss of a bit more than one percent of the volume of the anterior hippocampus of their brains -- a normal amount of shrinkage that comes with aging. However, the volunteers who had been walking had approximately a two percent increase in the volume of the anterior hippocampus of their brains. In addition, the aerobic exercisers achieved higher scores in memory testing, which makes sense since the hippocampus is a memory center in the brain. They also were found to possess more neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is a protein in the brain that helps neurons to grow and survive. This finding is significant because a lack of BDNF has been found in Alzheimer's patients.

The main take-away from this study? It's important to exercise regularly without overdoing it. You don't need to train like you are entering a marathon. Make time for daily workouts but remember that moderation is key. Get in some form of cardiovascular (or interval) activity, whether it's walking, bike riding, jogging, or some other exercise that gets your heart pumping a little faster. But don't forget strength training and flexibility workouts too. Just because they may not grow your hippocampus at all, don't discount them. Every type of exercise can benefit your body and work to improve your overall health and well being.

Read more about this here: Exercise and Your Memory

Need ideas for different types of exercise? The Need for Different Types of Exercise

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