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How Exercise In Midlife Is Tied To Better Cognition Later In Life

Here's another reason why middle-aged couch potatoes should get moving.
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By 

Guest Writer

Listen up all you middle-aged couch potatoes. Here’s a very good reason to get up and get moving: a new long-term study has shown that moderately vigorous physical activity in midlife may decrease the risk of cognitive decline later in life.

“Overall, the study shows that moderately vigorous physical activity, meaning more strenuous than walking, is associated with better cognition after an average of 25 years,” said Professor Urho Kujala of the University of Jyväskylä in Finland in a press release. “This finding is in accordance with earlier animal model studies, which have shown that physical activity increases the amount of growth factors in the brain and improves synaptic plasticity.”

The study involved 3,050 twins from the Finnish Twin Cohort. Using questionnaires, researchers gathered physical activity information from the twins when they were in their 40s. Then, some 25 year later, their cognition was evaluated via phone interviews.

After comparing the memory and thinking-related functions of the physically active twins with those of the inactive twins, researchers concluded that fitness in midlife is associated with better cognition later in life. The link even remained after other risk factors associated with dementia ― such as obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure ― were factored out.

Also interesting to note: researchers found that a moderate amount of exercise was adequate for boosting one’s memory in old age. In other words, people didn’t reap greater cognitive benefits if they increased how vigorously they exercised in middle age. 

The report was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.

The results are in accordance with the findings of other studies that highlight the benefits of exercise. A study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine in May 2015 found that older men who exercise 30 minutes a day live an average of five years longer than those who don’t. Other previous studies have found that getting fit in middle age also can reduce your risk for heart failure.

Excuse us while we head out to the gym.

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Before You Go

6 Exercises That Improve Your Sex Life
Lunge Matrix(01 of06)
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What it works: Hip flexibility, glutes

Leads to better sex because: The larger the range of motion in your hips, the more easily you can get into and hold any position you and your partner think of, especially ones where you're putting your legs up high or reaching down low, says Sari Locker, PhD, a sexuality educator at Columbia University. Having strong glutes helps you generate power if you're the more active partner in any position.

How to do it: Picture yourself standing in the middle of a clock, with 12 o'clock on the floor in front of you and 6 o'clock directly behind you, says Susan Stanley, an Equinox trainer. Step forward with your right foot into a lunge position, with your foot at 12 o'clock. Keep your weight in your right heel, and push off of it to return to starting position. Do the same thing with your right foot at 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 o'clock, then switch to your left foot and lunge at 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 o'clock. Once you feel comfortable with just your body weight, you can add dumbbells to increase the resistance and build more strength. For a more advanced challenge, you can increase your speed (while keeping the correct form) to add a cardio boost and improve your stamina for those long sessions. (credit:Illustration: Davidy Wyffels)
Halos and Full-Circle Planks(02 of06)
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What they work: Shoulders, arms and core

Leads to better sex because: Any position where you need to brace yourself against something (headboard, wall, kitchen counter) or hold up your own body weight requires a strong core and a strong upper body, says Locker.

How to do Halos: Grab a medium-weight dumbbell and stand with your feet shoulder width apart, core tight. Lift the weight over your head and slowly circle it around your head like you're tracing a large halo. Keep your back flat when you have the weight lifted—don't let it arch. If you feel wobbly, you can get into a split stance for more stability, says Stanley, with your feet shoulder width apart but your right foot about a foot in front of your left (or vice versa). This is a great one for men to do too, especially if they're typically on top. Couples workout, anyone? (credit:Illustration: David Wyffels)
(03 of06)
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How to do Full-Circle Planks: Start in a plank position on either your hands or your forearms. Hold for 30 seconds, then switch to a right-side plank, where your body is turned to the left and you're supporting yourself with your right hand or forearm. Hold for 30 seconds. In a controlled motion, flip over into a backward plank, supporting yourself with your hands and facing up toward the ceiling instead of down toward the floor. Your shoulders should be over your wrists and legs should be straight. (If flipping over is too difficult, it's fine to come out of the side plank and reposition yourself into a backward plank.) Hold again for 30 seconds, then switch to a left-side plank and hold for another 30 seconds. Once you feel comfortable with those holds, try adding some hip movement. You can move your hips from side to side in any of the planks or move your hips in a circle if you're up for a challenge, says Stanley. The key is to move just your hips—try to keep the rest of your body still. (credit:Illustration: David Wyffels)
Pelvic Clock(04 of06)
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What it works: Pelvic-floor muscles, core

Leads to better sex because: Strengthening your pelvic-floor muscles can help you feel more pleasure and minimize pain during sex. The classic Kegel calls for isolating your pelvic-floor muscles—here, you'll be working your core at the same time.

How to do it: Sit on a physio ball with your hands on your hips, abs and pelvic-floor muscles squeezed, and feet flat on the floor. Keeping your upper body and your legs as still as possible, use your abs to move your hips forward and backward between 12 o'clock and 6 o'clock, then between 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock. You won't get the pelvic-floor-muscle benefits if you don't make a conscious effort to tighten them—you should feel as though you're squeezing a tampon the whole time. Next, move your hips in a circle, completing one go-around then moving back in the other direction. If you don't have a physio ball, stand and mimic a hula-hooping motion, which works the same muscles, says Stanley. (If you happen to have a hula-hoop in your house, all the better!) (credit:Illustration: David Wyffels)
Glute Bridge(05 of06)
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What it works: Glutes and pelvic-floor muscles

Leads to better sex because: Your glutes power any thrusting motion, says Locker, plus you're strengthening your pelvic floor again.

How to do it: Lie on the floor with your hands by your side, feet on the floor and knees bent at a 45-degree angle. Squeeze your glutes to lift your butt and lower back off the floor and contract those pelvic-floor muscles at the same time. Lift until there's a straight line between your stomach and your knees, hold for 1 second, then return to start. You can add difficulty by holding dumbbells on top of your hips, or you can try a one-legged bridge, says Stanley, where one leg is pointed toward the ceiling, foot flexed, and you're driving your heel toward the sky as you lift your butt and back off the floor. (credit:Illustration: David Wyffels)
Wall Sits(06 of06)
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What it works: Quads and glutes

Leads to better sex because: You'll have more power in standing positions and more control over your hips in any position.

How to do it: Stand with your back against a wall, feet about shoulder width apart a foot or so in front of you. Slide your back down the wall, walking your feet out farther if necessary. The goal is to get your knees to a 90-degree angle while keeping them directly over your ankles. Hold that position until you feel a burn in your thighs, then adjust your feet so they're slightly farther apart. Hold again until you feel a burn, then take your feet a little wider one more time, and hold. If you need more of a challenge, Stanley recommends doing one-legged wall sits, where you lift one foot off the ground once you're in position, hold, then switch legs. (credit:Illustration: David Wyffels)
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