Exercising to keep the brain young: Latest research and expert opinions

Exercise significantly benefits brain health, enhancing cognition, mood, and reducing neurodegenerative disease risks. Recent studies highlight how exercise influences biological systems, promoting overall health. Activities like running, biking, weightlifting, and brisk walking offer diverse advantages beyond physical appearance or stamina.

Regular physical activity boosts mood, alleviates stress, and sharpens cognitive function, emphasizing the body-mind connection. Responses to different exercise forms, such as aerobic or strength training, vary among individuals. While older research suggested intense exercise might have negative effects, recent findings show elite athletes tend to live slightly longer.

Exercise promotes neurogenesis and synaptic plasticity, enhancing brain health. New studies, particularly by Stanford Medicine, reveal how exercise affects organs at the molecular level, potentially guiding tailored exercise recommendations and drug therapies for those unable to exercise.

One study involved lab rats on treadmills, showing exercise's impact on the immune system, stress response, energy production, and metabolism. It identified significant connections between exercise and molecules involved in various diseases and tissue recovery. Exercise also influences mitochondrial gene expression, suggesting benefits for conditions like diabetes and liver health.

Another study by The University of Queensland showed exercise might deter cognitive decline by affecting gene expression in microglia, brain-supporting immune cells. Exercise also reduced T cells in the hippocampus, a brain region vital for memory and learning.

Experts agree that aerobic exercises, strength training, and activities combining physical and cognitive challenges, like dance or tai chi, benefit brain health. Individual variability due to genetics and health status affects outcomes, necessitating further research on optimal exercise types and intensities.

Regular physical activity may reduce the risk and slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases. With increased life expectancy, maintaining healthy life years is crucial, and exercise is increasingly recognized as an effective way to support long-term brain and body health.

Exercise not only provides a natural "high" from endorphin release but also has lasting physical effects, reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and supporting healthy weight maintenance. It also enhances the effects of medications and therapies for mental health conditions like depression, thanks to the release of chemicals like endorphins and serotonin.