Ron White memory training expert recommends this article:
We all know that physical exercise builds muscle and improves our overall health and well being. Now it seems that it can also increase brain size leading to improvements in memory, especially in older adults.
As adults age an area of the brain called the hippocampus shrinks which leads to an impairment of their memory and an increased risk of developing dementia. Researchers have known that adults that are in better shape have larger hippocampal and medial temporal lobe volumes and that physical activity increases perfusion to the hippocampus. AÂ Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences study, however, demonstrated that adults who participated in aerobic exercise training increased their hippocampal volume by 2%, and reversed age-related loss in volume by 1 to 2 years.
The hippocampus is found in the medial temporal lobe of the brain and is important for learning and memory. It converts short term memories to more permanent ones, and is essential for forming and recalling spatial memories. Spatial memory is the part of memory responsible for recording information about a person’s environment and what’s around them. It is formed when a person gathers and processes sensory information about their surroundings. A functioning hippocampus is necessary to form and process memories about space.
The results of this study indicate the participating in an aerobic exercise can be effective at reversing hippocampal volume loss in late adulthood and can improve memory function. So it’s never too late to start an exercise regimen, even later in life, because it can both improve your health and increase brain size and function.
Compliments of Practical Memory Institute