MRI scans show exercise can make the brain look younger
Briefly

MRI scans show exercise can make the brain look younger
"We found that a simple, guideline-based exercise program can make the brain look measurably younger over just 12 months. Many people worry about how to protect their brain health as they age. Studies like this offer hopeful guidance grounded in everyday habits. These absolute changes were modest, but even a one-year shift in brain age could matter over the course of decades."
"Published in the Journal of Sport and Health Science, the study examined whether regular aerobic exercise could slow or even reverse what scientists call "brain age." Brain age is estimated using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and reflects how old the brain appears compared to a person's actual age. A higher brain-predicted age difference (brain-PAD) means the brain looks older, and earlier studies have linked this measure to weaker physical and cognitive performance and a higher risk of death."
A year of consistent, guideline-based aerobic exercise was associated with adult brains appearing almost one year biologically younger compared with unchanged activity. A clinical trial enrolled 130 healthy adults aged 26 to 58 and used MRI-derived brain-predicted age difference (brain-PAD) to estimate brain age. Higher brain-PAD indicates an older-appearing brain and correlates with weaker physical and cognitive performance and greater mortality risk. Participants who followed everyday aerobic routines for 12 months showed modest but measurable reductions in brain-PAD, suggesting midlife aerobic activity could help preserve cognitive function over decades.
Read at ScienceDaily
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