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by Daniel Richter
Did you think lifting weights only benefitted your muscles?
Think again!
(And do so more efficiently since, as you’re reading this page, you probably like to work out. Otherwise, what are you even doing here?)
A new meta-analysis of 54 studies found that resistance training improves cognitive skills, such as global cognition (general reasoning and thinking), executive function, and memory.1
The researchers also found positive trends in information processing and attention, although these effects didn’t quite reach statistical significance.
The analysis also looked into other forms of exercise interventions and found that both aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, and mind-body exercise (like tai-chi or yoga) had beneficial effects on several cognitive skills.
The effect was larger in adults (18–60 years) and old adults (>60 years) and smaller in children and adolescents (6–17 years).
In terms of intensity, moderate intensity yielded the largest effect, although low and high-intensity training was close behind.
My personal takeaway is that anything (barring extreme workouts, perhaps) seems to be better than nothing.
Here’s what the authors write:
Did you think lifting weights only benefitted your muscles?
Think again!
(And do so more efficiently since, as you’re reading this page, you probably like to work out. Otherwise, what are you even doing here?)
A new meta-analysis of 54 studies found that resistance training improves cognitive skills, such as global cognition (general reasoning and thinking), executive function, and memory.1
The researchers also found positive trends in information processing and attention, although these effects didn’t quite reach statistical significance.
The analysis also looked into other forms of exercise interventions and found that both aerobic exercise, resistance exercise, and mind-body exercise (like tai-chi or yoga) had beneficial effects on several cognitive skills.
The effect was larger in adults (18–60 years) and old adults (>60 years) and smaller in children and adolescents (6–17 years).
How Much Exercise Is Necessary?
Many of these benefits seem to manifest even with a low to moderate frequency and duration, around 1–3 workouts per week, á 30–45 minutes in length.In terms of intensity, moderate intensity yielded the largest effect, although low and high-intensity training was close behind.
My personal takeaway is that anything (barring extreme workouts, perhaps) seems to be better than nothing.
What Is the Mechanism?
So why does exercise improve our cognitive function?Here’s what the authors write: