New Study Confirms an Easy Way to Boost Your Brain Function—That You Might Already Do Every Day

While science has made it clear that regular exercise is important for your health, it can be tricky to find time to squeeze in workouts—especially with a full to-do list. But a new massive study spells out one more reason to make exercise a priority: It can boost your brain function, no matter how old you are. 

The research, which was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, analyzed 133 reviews of 2,724 randomized controlled trials to look at the impact of exercise on brain function. The researchers found that exercise had a significant positive effect on cognition in general, which includes things like perception, reasoning, judging, and problem solving, along with memory and executive function (i.e., planning and organizational skills). The bonus is that these results were true across all age groups studied.¹

More specifically, the researchers found that memory and executive function benefits were the highest in kids and teens compared to adults, and people with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) had the biggest boost in executive function compared to other groups.

“These findings provide strong evidence that exercise, even light intensity, benefits general cognition, memory, and executive function across all populations, reinforcing exercise as an essential, inclusive recommendation for optimizing cognitive health,” the researchers wrote in the study's conclusion.

Neurologists strongly support these findings—and are honestly not surprised by them at all. Here’s why exercise is so good for brain health, plus how to get the most out of your sweat sessions to keep your mind sharp.

Why exercise is good for brain health

There are a few reasons why exercise is good for your brain. “Exercise increases your heart rate and increases the blood flow [to] your heart and to your brain,” explains Clifford Segil, DO, a neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. A regular exercise routine also lowers the odds of developing conditions like high blood pressure and diabetes, both of which can negatively impact health health if left unmanaged, Dr. Segil adds.

Exercise stimulates the creation of new neurons (i.e., nerve cells) in the hippocampus—an area of the brain that’s vital for memory and learning, says Vernon Williams, MD, sports neurologist and founding director of the Center for Sports Neurology and Pain Medicine at Cedars-Sinai Orthopaedics in Los Angeles, California.² Physical activity also encourages neuroplasticity, which is your brain’s ability to create new connections, Dr. Williams adds.³

Exercise can also affect your mental and emotional health, too. Working out triggers the release of neurotransmitters (i.e., chemical messengers that travel between nerve cells) like dopamine and serotonin, “which play crucial roles in mood, motivation, and cognitive function,” according to Dr. Williams.⁴,⁵

Finally, Dr. Williams says that exercise can help lower inflammation in the brain, which is linked to everything from brain fog to cognitive decline.⁶

7 exercises to try that are good for your brain

This particular study found that low- and moderate-intensity exercises had some of the biggest influences on brain health, while exercises that emphasized specific movement patterns (think: yoga) also had a big positive effect. Here are some of the best exercises to try keep your mind sharp, according to the study findings and expert neurologists:

• Yoga
• Walking
• Jogging or running
• Biking
• Swimming
• Tai chi (a traditional Chinese martial art)
• Exergames (video games that require physical movement)

But in a perfect world, Dr. Segil says you’d get a mix of exercises like yoga along with strength and cardio workouts that leave you sweaty to support good brain health. Essentially, “you want to get the heart pumping,” he says, which in turn helps support your brain.