DOES EXERCISE help keep our brains young?

The fittest men showed little or no activation in their right hemispheres; they needed only their left hemisphere for the task.

In terms of attention and rapid decision-making, their brains worked like those of much younger people. They also were quicker and more accurate in their keystrokes, indicating that they attended and responded better than the less-fit volunteers.

Over all, Dr. Soya said, the results suggest that “higher aerobic fitness is associated with improved cognitive function through lateralized frontal activation in older adults.” Fit older people’s brains require fewer resources to complete tasks than do the brains of older people who are out of shape.

Of course, this study was observational and does not prove that fitness changed the men’s thinking, only that fit men had different brain activation patterns.

The study also did not look at exercise habits, only aerobic fitness.

Next, do a correlation with leg strength.