A new Penn State-led study reveals that regular everyday physical activities, even of lower intensity, can enhance cognitive processing speed in adults aged 40-65. The findings suggest immediate brain health benefits without the need for high-intensity workouts.
A new study led by Penn State College of Medicine suggests that incorporating everyday physical activities into daily routines can greatly benefit cognitive health, particularly processing speed, in middle-aged adults.
The study, published in the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, revealed that engaging in activities as simple as walking a dog or doing household chores can improve cognitive processing speed, equivalent to being four years younger.
“You don’t have to go to the gym to experience all the potential benefits of physical activity,” corresponding author Jonathan Hakun, an assistant professor of neurology and psychology at Penn State and the Penn State College of Medicine, said in a news release. “All movement is important. Everyday movement counts as a source of accumulated physical activity that could be credited toward a healthy lifestyle and may have some direct impact on cognitive health.”
Prior research has often focused on the long-term benefits of physical activity on cognitive health over years or even decades. However, Hakun and his team were particularly interested in the immediate effects of physical activities on brain health.
The researchers utilized a protocol known as ecological momentary assessment, interacting with participants through smartphone technology multiple times daily over nine days.
The participants, aged 40 to 65, were asked at each check-in if they had been physically active since the last check-in and to rate their activity intensity. Activities ranged from light (e.g., walking, cleaning) to vigorous (e.g., running, fast biking).
The participants then performed two “brain games” to assess cognitive processing speed and working memory. Data collected from 204 participants showed that those who were physically active demonstrated improved processing speeds, akin to being four years younger. While significant improvements in working memory were not observed, response times in memory tasks correlated with the gains in processing speed.
“We get slower as we age, both physically and cognitively. The idea here is that we can momentarily counteract that through movement. It’s compelling,” Hakun added. “There’s the potential for a brief walk or a little extra movement to give you a boost.”
Individuals who engaged in more frequent physical activities noticed greater short-term benefits, suggesting a positive correlation between the frequency of activity and cognitive health improvements.
Hakun emphasized the need for further research to understand the impact of activity intensity, frequency and duration on cognitive function over time.
Future research may involve the use of activity monitoring tools to better track physical movements and their impact on cognitive outcomes. Additionally, expanding study durations could provide deeper insights into the cumulative effects of daily physical activities on cognitive aging.
The study underscores the significance of incorporating physical activities into daily lives to promote cognitive health.
The findings highlight the easy-to-implement changes that can be made to one’s daily routine to support brain health, offering an accessible approach to mitigating age-related cognitive decline.