12 As we’ll see in greater detail later, BDNF contributes to the growth of more neurons in the brain and increases in the size of the hippocampus.

So, when we’re designing a prescription for exercise, our goal should be to boost cardiorespiratory fitness for that person. Our data suggest that’s necessary to achieve the brain benefits.”

Using MRIs to measure the brains of competitive runners and age-matched sedentary people, a University of Arizona study found that the runners had greater functional connectivity between separate parts of their brains.

says. A review of research on exercise and cognitive function in older people concluded that “physical exercise is a promising nonpharmaceutical intervention to prevent age-related cognitive decline

Experience and a growing body of research show that regular physical exercise is just as beneficial for your brain as it is for your heart, muscles, bones, and every other part of your body.

brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).

Research has found better cognitive performance among fit people whether they’re school-aged, younger adults, middle-aged, or older adults. 6 These running-makes-you-smarter findings generally have to do with mental acuity during our sedentary hours.

sedentary. After as little as six weeks of regular workouts, the exercisers improve their performance on several mental tests, including working memory (the ability to temporarily store and use information needed to carry out a task) and visuospatial processing (the ability to perceive and interact with what you see around you.

such as a Spanish study that found aerobically fit subjects performed better than sedentary people on a test of sustained mental focus. 5