Exercise for Health Aging

Health Club Memberships in people over 55 have increased from 1.9 million in 1990 to 7.4 million in 2000

Research led by Arthur F. Kramer of the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at Illinois showed that improving fitness can boost the thinking ability of aging adults. In the study, 41 adults ages 58 to 78 began an exercise program that increased over the course of three months to a 45 minute walk three times a week. Their brain activity was measure by magnetic resonance imaging and their decision making ability was measured by a variety of tasks. After three months, their brain activity increased and their performance on the decision making tasks improved by 11%. A control group of similar age and health that did stretching and toning exercises but not the cardiovascular walking program had lower brain activity than the other group and only showed a 2% improvement on the decision making tasks. Previous studies by the same researchers showed that aging adults who are fit do better mentally than those that are unfit, however the reviewed study is the first to show changes in brain function.

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