Can Exercise Turn Back the Clock on Your Brain? New Study Says Yes

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  • AdventHealth Research Institute
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Care

What if hitting the gym could actually make your brain younger? A new study suggests it can. Our research group found that adults who committed to a year of moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise—like jogging, cycling, or fast-paced walking—not only got fitter, but their brains appeared younger than before.

Using advanced brain scans, scientists measured “brain age”—a biological marker of how old your brain looks compared to your actual age. After 12 months of regular exercise, participants showed a reversal in brain aging, with brain ages looking younger than those in a control group who didn’t change their activity levels.

Interestingly, the exercise didn’t significantly change body fat, blood pressure, or levels of a brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). This suggests that the brain benefits of exercise may work through different, yet-to-be-understood mechanisms.

This is one of the first studies to show that a year of aerobic exercise may actually rewind the brain’s clock in early and midlife adults. So if you’re looking for a reason to move more—your brain might just thank you with more youthful years.

Click below to read the full research findings.

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