Spending some time at the gym while you’re young could help keep your mind sharper later in life.
Spending some time at the gym while you’re young could help keep your mind sharper later in life.
A new study shows that individuals who had active lifestyles in their youth performed better on both fitness and memory tests when they hit middle age.
In the beginning of the long range study, a group of over 27 hundred participants aged 18 to 30, was monitored as they ran on a treadmill for as long as they could.
Their times were recorded and stored for the test’s second round, which occurred around 20 years later.
Again, they were asked to get on a treadmill and run until they felt winded.
The later phase of the testing also included a verbal memory quiz, as well as cognitive function and the speed with which they could physically react.
When all of the data was compiled and compared, it turned out that those who displayed the best fitness levels when they were young got the highest memory test scores decades later.
Every extra minute they spent on the treadmill back then resulted in being able to remember more words on the memory test.
The researchers chalk the results up to cardiovascular fitness, noting that its benefits can last for years.