We all know that leading an active life, combined with a well balanced diet, helps to enhance our general health and well-being. But recent research has highlighted the possible link between exercise and a sharp mind.

To test the thought-to-exist link, a trail was conducted on older adults who had slight memory loss and an average age of 70. In the first group, the adults completed a six-month intensive exercise programme involving up to an hour’s exercise four times each week. The control group underwent more leisurely stretching exercises instead.

Conducted by researchers at the University of Washington in Seattle and funded by the US Department of Veteran Affairs and the Alzheimer’s Association, the results were published in the Archives of Neurology. (Source) Compared to the women who lightly exercised for the six months, those who had exercised intensely were shown to perform at an improved level in verbal fluency and memory tests. There was no clear improvement with the men.

However, it is uncertain how directly the improved memory findings in females who exercised intensely for six months can be applied to healthy people without the slightest memory impairment. The trial was only conducted on a small number of people so the results are by no means conclusive. Of the 23 adults who took part in group one, four people dropped out due to the intensity of the exercises.

Another study was also recently carried out by scientists from the Department of Experimental Psychology at the University of Cambridge and researchers at the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore, to test the link between brain function and exercise. (Source)

The results of this study found that the mice which exercised performed better on memory tests than those which did not exercise, and grew more new brain cells too.

The mice were monitored for 105 days; the active mice were allowed to exercise as much as they liked using a wheel and the control group mice were unable to exercise.  The mice with access to the exercise wheel ran an average of 12 miles a day and by the end of the study were shown to have grown twice as many new cells in their hippocampus, the part of the brain linked to memory.

Commenting on the findings, Stan Colcombe from Bangor University said: “Their data strongly suggest that new neurons created after exercise can play a role in improving cognitive function, which likely has direct implications for human research into the effects of exercise on neurocognition.”

All these studies point to one thing – that regular exercise helps to look after our health and well-being. And if you needed more proof of this, then how about the inspiring advice by Georgina Easter, a 100-year-old gym-goer, on living a long and healthy life: avoid junk food and stay fit.

Eat well and enjoy 30-minutes of exercise 4-5 times a week to help you stay in shape and stay positive, sharp and physically and mentally agile.

Vanessa Alexander

Esteem Fitness – Corporate Fitness, Nutrition and Well-being Consultancy
Enhancing Personal Health and Corporate Wealth