Aerobic Exercise and Mental Performance

By Michelle Ross

Posted November 19, 2024

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Transcript

Y: Come take a walk with me, Don.

D: I don’t care for walking Yael! And don’t tell me the importance of exercise. I stretch every day, and I even lift a few weights here and there. I get plenty of exercise.

Y: Stretching and toning are certainly important, but their benefits are different from that of aerobic exercise. I have some news for you. Aerobic exercise isn’t just beneficial to your heart. It also sharpens your mind.

D: Haven’t you ever heard the phrase “dumb jock”? Physical fitness and mental fitness don’t go together. In fact, I’m probably smarter because I don’t get much aerobic exercise.

Y: I don’t think so Don. I’ll tell you one thing though; you don’t have to be a jock to enjoy the brain benefits of aerobic exercise. Moderate aerobic exercise is plenty. Several studies monitoring older adults demonstrated that simply walking a mile or so three times a week increases blood flow in the brain and strengthens connections between neurons, resulting in improved mental performance in tasks requiring attention.

Y: One of the studies divided a group of seniors into two different six-month exercise courses. One course consisting of aerobic exercise, the other consisting of stretching and toning. Again, we’re not talking about marathon training here. The aerobic training course gradually built its participants up to walking 45 minutes at a moderate pace three times a week. At the end of the course, the people who completed the aerobic training showed significant improvements in attention-related mental tasks. The stretching and toning group showed little improvement.

Y: Hey, what are you doing?

D: Putting on my walking shoes.

Y: This moment of science comes from Indiana University.

D: We’re on the web at www.amomeentofscience.org. I’m Don glass.

Y: And I’m Yael Ksander.

You might not care much for aerobic exercise. Maybe you prefer stretching or lifting weights. Surely any exercise is good exercise. Well, not all exercise is equivalent. Stretching and toning are certainly important, but their benefits are different from that of aerobic exercise. Aerobic exercise is beneficial to your heart, but it also sharpens your mind.

Several studies monitoring older adults demonstrated that simply walking a mile or so three times a week increases blood flow in the brain and strengthens connections between neurons, resulting in improved mental performance in tasks requiring attention.

One of the studies divided a group of seniors into two different six-month exercise courses. One course consisting of aerobic exercise, the other consisting of stretching and toning. Again, we’re not talking about marathon training here. The aerobic training course gradually built its participants up to walking 45 minutes at a moderate pace three times a week. At the end of the course, the people who completed the aerobic training showed significant improvements in attention-related mental tasks. The stretching and toning group showed little improvement.

While it is important to stretch (especially before exercising) and weight training can build muscle, regular moderate aerobic exercise every week can have a substantial impact on your overall physical and mental health.

So put on those walking shoes and hit the pavement!

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Originally aired August 31, 2004.