While Fitness is Important for Elderly Health, Brain Health is Equally important

It's not always easy to keep up with the next generation. And while exercise can’t keep us young forever, it can make us act and feel a little less old. With aches, pains and busy schedules, exercise can be a low priority--especially because we know darn well it won’t necessarily help our waistlines. Age also takes a toll on the brain. This isn’t just for the retirees: Word recall, spatial reasoning and even processing speed can begin to decline in the early 30s. But one of the brain benefits of exercise is an increase in the birth of new brain cells. According to Science News, as we get older, exercise proves protective both for brain structure and function. Sedentary people show decreases in white and gray matter as they age. Physical activity, even walking 72 blocks per week, helps preserve gray matter in older adults in areas such as the hippocampus — a brain area important for memory. Keeping up aerobic activity also improves cognitive control in middle-aged and older people — including tasks such as planning and working memory.