Exercise – The More The Better – Improves Brain Functions In Older Adults

A six-month clinical trial involving 101 healthy older adults has found that brain functions improve proportionately with increasing time spent aerobic exercising. The purpose of the study was to determine the optimum amount of exercise to benefit the brain. The researchers divided the participants into four groups, three of which were monitored at different lengths of exercise time – 75 minutes a week, 150 minutes, or 225 minutes – while a fourth was a control. All of the exercisers benefited, the study found, but those who exercised more saw more benefits, especially in the ability to perceive where objects are in space and how far apart they are from each other. Also improving were overall attention levels and ability to focus.