Why exercise can benefit brain health if you’re over 50

We all know that exercise is good for the heart but did you know it can be really good for your brain, too? Regular exercise is, in fact, one of the best things you can do to cut your chance of dementia.  

Studies show it can reduce the risk of dementia by 28% and Alzheimer’s by 45% – that’s almost half.

The good news is that it is never too late to start exercising, with a wealth of research showing it produces a multitude of brain benefits as we get older.

This includes an analysis of 39 studies on the effect of exercise on the brain health of over-50s. The research, the most comprehensive of its kind, found that physical activity improved memory and executive function – the brain’s ability to plan and organise.  

A combination of aerobic exercise, such as walking running and cycling, and resistance training, such as lifting weights and using gym machines, seemed to provide the most benefit.

The study’s lead author, Dr Joe Northey, of the University of Canberra, told Brain Health Network: “Age is a risk factor no one can avoid when it comes to cognitive decline. Undertaking just a few days of moderate intensity aerobic and resistance training during the week is a simple and effective way to improve the way your brain functions.

“You are never too old to start moving – or to keep moving.”

In another study, scientists asked more than 2,000 men aged 45-59 in Wales about their lives and then tracked their health for 35 years. They found that those who had a healthy lifestyle were 60% less likely to develop dementia – and regular exercise was pivotal. It did more to keep the brain fit than eating well, not smoking, not drinking too much or keeping to a healthy weight.

So, what is exercise’s secret?

Exercise helps the brain in all sorts of ways from boosting blood flow to encouraging neurogenesis – the growth of new cells – in key parts of the brain.

One study by Brain Health Network advisor Professor Kirk Erickson found that the hippocampus, the brain’s memory hub, grew by 2% over the course of a year in men and women aged 50-plus who went for a brisk walk three times a week.   

While this might not seem like much, the hippocampus was effectively a year or two younger at the end of the study than at the start.

A protein called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is thought to be important here. Dubbed “Miracle-Gro” for the brain, BDNF helps new brain cells grow and survive and encourages the growth of new connections between brain cells.

All of this enhances neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to rewire and adapt, something that’s believed to make it more resilient to decline and disease.

Boosting blood flow, meanwhile, increases the brain’s supply of oxygen and nutrients. It also helps keep the blood vessels in the brain healthy.

Exercise helps in other ways too. “Exercise controls many of the risk factors for cognitive decline, including obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure,” says Dr Northey.

In other words, what’s good for the heart, is also good for the brain.

That’s not all. Exercise can also improve sleep – something else that’s important for brain health.  

For example, while we are asleep, a “waste disposal” system is hard at work in the brain clearing out toxins that have built up during the day. The debris that’s flushed out includes beta-amyloid, a sticky protein that starts to gather in the brain ten to 15 years before Alzheimer’s is diagnosed and is a hallmark of the disease.

If the gym isn’t for you, there are other options.

“When we recommend aerobic exercise and resistance training, we often think of things like running or lifting weights,” says Dr Northey. “But the key is really to find activities which get your heart rate up and also make your muscles work; things like going for a walk in the country are a great example of this.”

Even staying active in day-to-day life can make a difference. A study of more than half a million people aged 56-plus in the UK found that housework and DIY are both linked to a lower risk of dementia.

Start by trying these 3 simple exercises to improve your brain health: