Exercise is arguably the best thing you can do for your brain in general, according to Yale New Haven Hospital's Matthew Stults-Kolehmainen, Ph.D., FACSM, an exercise physiologist and researcher. In fact, some scientists believe that the brain's primary purpose is to facilitate movement in humans.
The beneficial relationships between physical activity and brain health—including mental health and mood regulation, memory and executive functioning, and the avoidance of degenerative brain diseases—are important study and conversation subjects.
We now know a great deal about the actual structural changes in the brain that happen as a result of exercise, including changes in brain volume and connectivity, oxygen delivery to the brain's tissue, neuroplasticity (how our neurons grow, change, and communicate), increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factors (BDNF, a protein essential for maintaining and creating neurons), and a great deal more.
To determine just how much exercise we require and what kinds of exercise are best for optimum brain health, researchers and medical professionals are now delving deeper.
The optimal way to optimize exercise for brain health is a continually changing issue, but any activity is better than none at all.
The Best Ways to Exercise for Brain Health
Although it’s hard to prescribe a one-size-fits-all fitness strategy for everyone, these are a few things to keep in mind and help inform your workout routine. At this point, there have been more studies to show that aerobic exercise may be better than stretching, toning, or even strength training (again, just within the context of working out for your brain).
Also, “exercise that has a greater demand on your attention has more of a demand on the brain,” Stults-Kolehmainen says. This could be in the form of an exercise that requires multiple steps (like tai chi or dance) or a type of exercise that holds your attention enough to not bore you or send you into autopilot mode. There’s a fine line, though. You’ll want to find a workout that’s engaging enough to hold your attention without being so frustratingly demanding that you throw in the towel.
Variety and novelty, in general, are important for brain fitness too, so diversifying exercise types, mixing up your workouts, and challenging yourself to learn a new activity can help keep the mind sharp and the neurons firing afresh.
Try planning out your exercise for the week, including various modalities throughout a few days of gym machine cardio, a yoga workout sprinkled in there, and one or two days of strength training with weights or resistance bands.
At the end of the day, however, Stults-Kolehmainen reiterates what so many fitness experts, doctors, and researchers say: “The best exercise is the one you will actually do and sustain.”
Here are five types of exercise that fuel your brain with healthy benefits.
1. Dance
Don’t skip that Zumba or salsa class! Dancing is not only fun, freeing, and physically strenuous—but it’s also great for your brain. Multiple studies—including one from the New England Journal of Medicine have shown—that dancing may help reduce the risk of dementia.
“Humans thrive on novelty,” notes Stults-Kolehmainen. So it makes sense, he says, that dancing is a good pick-me-up for the brain, since “it can be highly novel, very complex, social, and intellectually involved—all things the brain appreciates.”
Hate dancing in front of people? Hit up an online streaming platform like Obé or Sculpt Society that offers dance cardio workouts, dance-infused full-body fitness, and tons more.
2. Cycling
Outdoor cycling seems to show cognitive benefits in those 50 and over. Studies have shown that indoor interval training cycling has a positive impact on Parkinson’s patients too. Rao is currently conducting a clinical trial with high-risk sedentary patients ages 65 to 80 using the stationary Peloton bike to assess if riding three times a week for 30 minutes each time can improve brain health and slow the progression of diseases like Alzheimer’s.
We hope and hypothesize that exercise reduces [negative] changes in the brain,” Rao says. “The reason is that exercise is neuro-protective and reduces the amount of inflammation in the brain. The changes in Alzheimer’s are clearly aggravated by inflammation.”
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3. Interval Training
Interval training—a workout where you alternate between two activities or two levels of intensity—has shown some increase in BDNF (that key protein for neuron functioning), which helps with learning and memory. However, finding that sweet spot—getting in a good workout without overly straining and draining your system—is key.
You’ve likely heard of HIIT, which stands for high-intensity interval training and involves alternating between really tiring exercise and a recovery period for several cycles, typically in a one-to-one (sometimes two-to-one) work-to-recovery ratio. Some studies show that one minute of high-intensity exercise followed by one minute of low-intensity movement has positive effects, but for optimal brain benefits, Stults-Kolehmainen even suggests scaling down to make each interval an even smaller burst: jogging for one minute, then running hard for six seconds. This way, you’ll still get the benefits of interval training without the buildup of lactic acid and other adverse impacts of training really hard.
Don’t worry as much about making your workout super-high-intensity, especially if you’re just getting started. Instead focus more on adhering to an interval pattern and making your workout varied (e.g., walk for a minute, jog for a minute). Bonus: Interval training also tends to hold interest for longer than straight-up high-intensity training or a 45-minute stint of moderate movement on the elliptical.
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4. Brisk Walking
Walking has a slew of fantastic health benefits, but fast walking does even more wonders for the brain. A recent study showed that walking more than 4,000 steps a day had positive effects on memory in older adults. Walking is also simple, free, (can be) social, and requires no equipment. If you can get outside, a brisk walk in nature has added bonuses.
5. Tai Chi
Tai chi is low-impact and easy on the joints, so it’s great for older adults and exercise beginners. It’s also equipment-free, guided by an instructor, and can be done outside.