A single sweaty workout may boost some people’s memory
Variation among people may hold clues to how fitness affects the mind
SAN FRANCISCO — For some older people, the brain boosts from exercise can be almost immediate. Improvements in their thinking abilities after a single 20-minute bout of pedaling a stationary bike mirrored those produced by three months of regular exercise, according to a preliminary study presented March 24 at the annual meeting of the Cognitive Neuroscience Society.
In addition to being good news for people who struggle with lofty workout goals, the results suggest that the short-term benefits may predict who will benefit from long-term exercise.