Today, I want to share how exercise, specifically resistance training, can slow brain aging by up to 10 years.
It’s a fact, strength training builds muscle and boosts memory, focus and mood.
Just like our muscles and our bones, our brains naturally shrink as we age. (Sorry ladies, but this shrinkage is accelerated after menopause, but all is not lost, keep reading!) This shrinkage affects memory, attention and how clearly we think. BUT, just like our bones and our muscles, researchers found lifting weights helps slow this down. Just twice a week can protect parts of the brain that usually shrink with age.
A 2023 study looked at older adults with mild cognitive problems. Half of them lifted weights twice a week for 6 months, the other half didn’t.
Brain scans showed that those who lifted weights kept more brain volume in areas tied to memory and decision making.
The others lost volume like you’d expect with aging.
One reason strength training supports brain health is BDNF, short for Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor. Often referred to as ‘fertilizer for our brain’. It helps play a key role in helping brain cells grow, adapt and stay alive.
So please believe me when I say, the connection between your muscles and your brain is real. Every time you challenge your body, hormones travel from your muscles to your brain, and your brain gets the signal to stay sharp too.
On the flip side, avoiding strength training can speed up brain decline. Sedentary aging is linked to faster memory loss and lower mood.
And like I said above, you don’t need to do it every day to get this benefit! Just two sessions per week is enough to see changes in the brain.
And so, please, if you value your mental health and want to stay sharp and happy and independent well into your golden years. Pick up those weights and get lifting!
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