Brain AND Body Boost: Exercise and Memory

Time to get up and get moving! It’s for the good of your body and now proven to also benefit your brain. Scientists are just reaching the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the connections between brain and body, but we know they exist.  

In a study recently reported in the New York Times, doctors found that increased physical activity when you are young leads to better cognitive skills as you age. While the study does not delve into the why, the what is pretty impressive.  

The study, published this past April in the medical journal Neurology, is based on collecting and sorting large amounts of data taken from previous studies. They examined the health and wellbeing of young people, and those same people many years later. The more participants did to take care of themselves when they were young in terms of exercise resulted in better brainpower later. This is great news!  

No one yet knows the entirety of long term positive effects of exercise, but we know pieces: it can reduce the risk of many things from heart disease to breast cancer. And surprise, surprise, it’s now shown to be good for your brain in the long term too!  

Here are a few cliches we like to end with: First off, an ounce of prevention… What you do now can save you a headache (or at least a “senior moment”) years later. Next, it’s never too late to start taking care of yourself. So even if you were a slothful 25-year-old, getting in shape now can still be a benefit to you. Exercise does a body (and brain) good – so let’s get moving!

Image Credit: Jogging Woman in Grass by Mike Baird via Wikimedia Commons Copyright Creative CommonsAttribution 2.0 Generic)

Originally published 5/13/14 on mammographykc.com.