Can Physical Activity Boost Brain Health?

It’s widely known that staying active benefits overall health. Health professionals recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity each week — activities like walking briskly, cycling, playing pickleball, or mowing a lawn with a push mower. They also suggest incorporating strength training exercises, such as lifting weights, doing push-ups, or crunches, at least twice a week.

Exercise brings a range of physical benefits. Aerobic workouts can help with weight management and support a healthy cardiovascular system. Resistance training builds stronger muscles and denser bones. Stretching improves flexibility and joint mobility, while balance exercises reduce the risk of falling. On top of all this, researchers are discovering that staying active may also help protect brain function.

When you engage in physical activity, your body releases numerous chemicals into your bloodstream. These substances travel through your body and interact with different tissues, producing beneficial effects that help your cells remain resilient during physical exertion.

“It’s like sending your body a message to get ready for a challenge,” says Dr. Saul Villeda, a neuroscientist who investigates how aging impacts the brain at the University of California, San Francisco. He believes that this process not only prepares cells for exercise but might also help them resist the effects of aging.

As we get older, our mental functions—such as memory, focus, and learning—can decline. This happens because the brain undergoes various changes at the cellular level. The protective barrier surrounding the brain also shifts, potentially allowing harmful substances to enter more easily.

Animal studies using mice and rats suggest that exercise can help counteract some of these changes. Regular movement appears to preserve parts of brain function that typically diminish with age. Similar benefits have also been observed in people, where aerobic activity has been linked with improved memory.

Some of the positive effects may be tied to specific molecules released during exercise. Dr. Villeda’s team is examining a molecule called GPLD1. Their studies suggest that GPLD1 supports the brain’s ability to produce new cells, as well as enhances memory and learning in older mice.

Further research from Villeda's lab has shown that older adults who stay physically active tend to have higher levels of GPLD1. This implies that the molecule could serve a comparable role in humans. When introduced in laboratory mice, GPLD1 produced benefits similar to those gained from exercise, making it a promising target for helping people who can’t be physically active.

If 150 minutes of exercise per week sounds daunting, don’t worry. You can start slowly and still make progress. “Small changes matter,” says Villeda. “Even a few extra minutes of movement each day can be valuable.” He shares that his research on mice encouraged him, formerly inactive, to begin working out himself. “Watching the changes firsthand convinced me, a total non-exerciser, to get moving.”

Check the Wise Choices section for simple ways to include more movement in your routine.