Mild Exercise for 3 Months Helps to Improve Brain Function

You can help enhance and maintain cognitive function through regular exercise. While other studies have focused on the effect on executive function of moderate- to high-intensity exercise routines lasting 6 months to 1 year, it is difficult to motivate people to participate in and stick to rigorous exercise programs.
Based on previous research, it has been found that even short, light exercise sessions, which include yoga and walking, stimulate the brain and provide improvements in cognitive performance in the short term.
However, the long-term effect of moderate exercise on brain function, as well as the underlying mechanisms associated with it, has remained unexplored.
A group of 125 healthy individuals between the ages of 55 and 78 were randomly divided into two groups: a group that exercised at low intensity 3 times every week for 3 months, while the control group continued their usual daily routine.
The researchers assessed participants' executive function using the Stroop test and assessed prefrontal cortex activity throughout the task using functional near-infrared spectroscopy before and after the three months.
The results showed a significant improvement in executive function in the exercise group compared to the control group. When the data was analyzed by age, the benefits of light exercise were particularly clear in the group of older individuals aged 68 to 78 years.
Increased effective activation of the prefrontal cortex played a role in the underlying brain mechanism supporting this improvement. This means high executive function corresponding to relatively low brain activation.
These results suggest that moderate exercise for just 3 months can strengthen the brain's functional networks, enabling the prefrontal cortex to be used more successfully during the Stroop test.
These results highlight the positive effects of moderate, stress-free exercise over 3 months in strengthening the prefrontal cortex and improving cognitive function.