Study Shows Aerobic Exercise Reverses Memory Loss in Seniors

Promising research reveals that aging is not a one-way street toward a declining body and mind. Instead, exercise is now helping older adults do a U-turn on memory loss. A 2011 report by brain researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign cited a year-long study of older adults whose memory center in the brain increased with regular walking exercise.

The study observed 60 adults ages 55 to 80 who increased their walking gradually to 40 minutes three times a week. Sixty other participants spent a year doing toning exercises including yoga, weight training and stretching. The 60 seniors who increased their heart rate through walking performed better on a memory test and gained about 2 percent volume in the brain’s main memory section called the anterior hippocampus. The walkers also experienced a boost in a protein molecule that aids learning, memory and higher thinking.

The older adults who only toned up actually lost more than 1 percent volume of their brain’s memory portion.

Instead of just maintaining memory, the study showed that regular aerobic exercise actually reverses memory loss, but more research is needed to determine if the memory benefits will last. Other positive brain benefits of aerobic exercise include:

• Increased oxygen flow to the brain for better overall functioning.
• Development of new cells in the brain’s memory center.

With a little encouragement, your aging loved one may be surprised by the health benefits of increased exercise. Ongoing studies are looking at types and amounts of exercise that will increase brain power the most. In the meantime, encourage a senior to boost his or her memory by lacing up some walking shoes.

How do you encourage your aging loved one to stay active through regular aerobic exercise?