Physical exercise improves short term memory

- Wed, 29 Aug 2007


Scientists at Columbia University in New York City have now proved that physical exercise increases memory capacity and might even stave off  age-related memory loss.

According to the New York Times, they put a group of men and women aged 21 to 45 on an exercise program for 12 weeks. Not only did they become more fit but MRI’s (brain scans) found that a critical part of their brain, the hippocampus, was receiving twice as much blood as before. Subsequent tests showed the subjects also enjoyed significant improvements in memory – and those who had the biggest increase in blood to the hippocampus had the best results on memory tests.

The scientists suspect the increased blood is helping these people produce fresh brain cells. Importantly, the part of the brain affected most by exercise, the hippocampus, is also the part most impacted by age-related brain shrinkage.

Many neurologists believe that the main cause of mental decline in old age is the loss of brain cells from the hippocampus. In fact brain research has shown that people with Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia have smaller than average hippocampi*. But the Columbia study suggests that shrinkage of the hippocampus, and subsequent problems relating to memory loss, can be slowed by regular exercise.

For full story visit New York Times.

HeadStrong's brain health program will guide you through the exercise requirements to keep your brain fit.  Physical exercise alone is not enough.  The hippocampi have very high metabolic requirements and exercise improves the blood supply  thereby meeting its metabolic requirements.  However the hippocampi needs to be exercised through memory and new learning activity in order to keep the cells working, making new connections, and decreasing the likelihood of atrophy.  HeadStrong brain training includes many brain exercises to specifically stimulate your hippocampi and improve your memory and new learning capacity. 

*You have two hippocampi- one in the left and right hemispheres of your brain.

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