
What’s good for your heart is good for your brain. Just as physical activity helps keep our bodies fit and strong as we age, it also helps maintain our cognitive function – and is even linked with lower dementia risk.
Yet beyond the longer term cognitive benefits of physical activity, exercise also seems to give a short-term boost to cognitive performance lasting from minutes to hours. According to our latest study, this cognitive boost may last up to 24-hours after exercising. Because some cognitive abilities start to decline as we get older, even small boosts to cognitive function can help keep us active and independent for longer.