Neuroscience Says [Aerobic Exercise] for Just 1 Hour a Week Can Make Your Brain 5 Years Younger

(Inc.) – You know your actual age, but do you know your “brain age”?

Everyone loses some mental sharpness as the years go by, but not everyone’s brain ages at the same pace. Just as some 60-year-olds are running marathons while others are huffing and puffing up the stairs, neuroscientists say there can be a big gap between the age on your driver’s license and how old your brain appears according to an MRI scan and other tests.

And happily for entrepreneurs and anyone else looking to keep their brain going strong, while you can’t turn back the years, you can reverse the effects of those years on your brain. All you need is a pair of sneakers and about an hour a week. [Click here for full Inc. article]

Synopsis

The article explores the concept of “brain age,” highlighting that cognitive aging can vary greatly among individuals. Research shows that regular aerobic exercise, such as brisk walking or cycling for an hour a week, can significantly improve brain function in older adults, effectively reducing their brain age by about five years. This improvement is attributed to increased blood flow to the brain. Additionally, engaging in mentally stimulating activities, like taking adult education classes, can further reduce brain age by up to 30 years. The key takeaway is that both physical and mental activities can help maintain cognitive health and reduce the effects of aging on the brain.

Articles

• [Principal Article – Abstract Only]
  Aerobic exercise improves cognition and cerebrovascular regulation in older adults (Neurology Journals, Veronica Guadagni, PhD, Lauren L. Drogos, PhD, Amanda V. Tyndall, PhD, Margie H. Davenport, PhD, Todd J. Anderson, MD, Gail A. Eskes, PhD, R. Stewart Longman, PhD, Michael D. Hill, MD, PhD, David B. Hogan, MD, and Marc J. Poulin, PhD, DPhil; May 26, 2020)
• [National Institute of Health – Full Article]
  Aerobic exercise improves cognition and cerebrovascular regulation in older adults (Neurology Journals, Veronica Guadagni, PhD, Lauren L. Drogos, PhD, Amanda V. Tyndall, PhD, Margie H. Davenport, PhD, Todd J. Anderson, MD, Gail A. Eskes, PhD, R. Stewart Longman, PhD, Michael D. Hill, MD, PhD, David B. Hogan, MD, and Marc J. Poulin, PhD, DPhil; May 26, 2020)
• Neuroscience Says Doing This for Just 1 Hour a Week Can Make Your Brain 5 Years Younger¹ (Inc. Jessica Stillman, July 15, 2024)

Notes

¹Editor note: The original headline from Inc. used what is obviously a click-bait approach. I personally find these types of headlines deceptive and thus you will notice that I rephrased my websites headline to more accurately reflect the content of the article.