Exercise is perhaps the best thing you can do for your brain. It pumps an oxygen rich blood to your brain, it enriches it with nutrients and it keeps you young and sharp.
But which type of exercise is the best for your brain?
Scientists in Canada wondered the same thing and they analyzed various exercise programs to see which ones improve memory and cognitive function the most in people between the ages of 62 and 84.
The entire group was divided into smaller chunks who performed various forms of exercises.
At the end of the study, researchers did not find an exercise that was better than the others.
They found that both aerobic exercise and weight training worked. And so did cycling and running… as well as yoga and Tai chi.
So any kind of exercise is better than no exercise at all.
And here’s what else researchers discovered…
Muscle strength = Brain health
And international scientists looked at nearly a half a million people and found that your hand strength can tell how healthy your brain is.
And that was true for all ages whether you’re young or over 65. And that’s also true in people who were suffering from schizophrenia, major depression or bipolar disorder.
So, staying active is the best way to protect your brain. Anything you can do with your hands — gardening, working with tools, running up and down the stairs is what feeds your brain and keeps it young.
I don’t know about you, but I’m going to go grab my dumbbells I keep conveniently in my living room and lift them up 20 times. And then do some squats and maybe even push ups. Because there’s nothing more important than a healthy brain.
