Search Weight Loss Topics:

Home » Exercise Programs » How Exercise Can Benefit Your Brain – ConsumerReports.org

If youre thinking about starting a workout regimen (or amending your current routine), you can often find supervised programs through a hospital, community recreation center, or gym.

But while the new study only included such supervised programswhere elements like frequency, intensity, and duration were monitored and controlledyou can reap these cognitive benefits by exercising on your own, too, says Northey.

Just discuss your plans to exercise with your doctor first to make sure its safe, he says.

To maximize the brain benefits of working out, keep these key takeaways from the study in mind:

Include resistance training along with aerobic exercise. Current U.S. exercise guidelines recommend getting at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity aerobic exercise a week and doing strength training two or three times weekly. (At a moderate level, you can maintain a conversation while you work out. During vigorous exercise, it will be difficult to talk.)

Work out for 45 to 60 minutes per session. Researchers found the biggest benefit came from at least 45 minutes of exercise, although shorter sessions are certainly helpful as well. If youre working out more intensely, you may be able to do it for less time. (Northey is currently studying how high-intensity interval trainingalternating between hard and easy bouts of exercisecan impact brain power.)

Exercise on most days. While the review found beneficial brain effects with any level of frequency of exercise, a regular, consistent routine will improve your fitness level and muscle mass, two things that are protective as you age.

Consider starting with tai chi. Although there were fewer studies with tai chi, researchers found it does enhance cognitive abilities and it can be good for people who are new to working out or arent as mobile. (The study also looked at yoga, but researchers werent able to accurately gauge its impact on the brain due to a lack of good quality studies.)

Read more here:
How Exercise Can Benefit Your Brain - ConsumerReports.org

Your Full Name
Your Email
Your Phone Number
Select your age (30+ only)	30313233343536373839404142434445464748495051525354555657585960616263646566676869707172737475767778798081828384858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120
Select Your US State	Select Your StateAlabamaAlaskaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaColoradoConnecticutDelawareFloridaGeorgiaHawaiiIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaKansasKentuckyLouisianaMaineMarylandMassachusettsMichiganMinnesotaMississippiMissouriMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew HampshireNew JerseyNew MexicoNew YorkNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOklahomaOregonPennsylvaniaRhode IslandSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeTexasUtahVermontVirginiaWashingtonWashington,DCWest VirginiaWisconsinWyoming
Program Choice	Select Your ProgramInjectable HGHInjectable TestoteroneInjectable SermorelinInjectable Weight LossInjectable HCG DietInjectable Vitamins
Confirm over 30 years old	Yes
Confirm that you resident in USA	Yes
This is a Serious Inquiry	Yes
Message:

Home » Exercise Programs » How Exercise Can Benefit Your Brain – ConsumerReports.org