Staying Fit Throughout Adulthood Takes Brains
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iStock/Thinkstock(BOSTON) — Instead of getting depressed when you turn 40, think of it as a new lease on life.
So rather than letting yourself go, make a conscious effort to stay fit. In that way, says Nicole Spartano, a postdoctoral fellow at Boston University School of Medicine, you’ll be able to brag about having a young brain when you turn 60.
Spartano examined the records of 1,270 people, average age 41, who underwent treadmill testing during the 1970s. Fast forward to 20 years later, she then looked at the results of the same people who underwent MRI brain scans and mental performance tests.
Overall, the participants who had a lower increase in heart rate and blood pressure did better on tests involving decision-making than their less healthy counterparts, meaning they retained more brain volume.
Spartano says this would suggest that fitness throughout adulthood has an impact on brain aging. Previously, other studies have shown that elderly people who undergo fitness programs can help prevent brain-aging, at least in the short-term.
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