Does the Type of Exercise You Do Matter When It Comes to Improving Mood and Memory?
From your doctor to the pages of this publication and plenty of points in between, the message that exercise is vital for optimal
cognitive and mental health is inescapable. But given the vast array of sports and exercise options available to you, is one activity better or more beneficial than another?
The short answer is that anything that gets you moving is helpful. And certainly aerobic (or cardio) exercise is ideal, not just for what it does for the brain, but for how it improves the health and strength of your heart and lungs. But resistance or strength training, yoga, tai chi, team sports, and other activities all can help bolster thinking skills and promote a healthy outlook and positive mood.
“Polo, croquet, ultimate Frisbee, skiing, sledding with the grandkids….
it all counts,” says psychologist Louisa Sylvia, PhD, Associate Director of the Dauten Family Center for Bipolar Treatment Innovation at Massachusetts General Hospital. “Whatever keeps your body moving will be good for your mind, mood, and memory.”
Exercise and the Brain
Exercise’s impact on your body can be hard to miss. You can feel your heart pumping. Your muscles will tell you they’ve had a good workout. And if you’re losing weight through exercise and diet, your changing waistline may signal more of exercise’s advantages. But when it comes to the ways physical activity supports brain function, the benefits may not seem obvious at first.
We know, for example, that exercise promotes cardiovascular health, which improves the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the brain, and that physical activity helps reduce inflammation and lower levels of stress hormones. “There are likely many ways in which we suspect exercise is good for your brain, or its ability to function, but principally it helps your brain to grow more neurons,” Dr. Sylvia says. “This process is called neurogenesis. This process is very important to allow your brain to adapt to stress and continue to function well. Exercise may be one of the most robust ways to improve neurogenesis.”
Choosing the Right Exercise
While a brisk walk may be the simplest form of exercise, and one you can do in your neighborhood or even your home, it’s not the only option. And for some people, walking or jogging isn’t really an option because of arthritis or other condition. “Yes, all exercise is good, but different types of exercise may be particularly well suited for certain people,” Dr. Sylvia says. “For example, swimming is great to relieve pressure on joints and build aerobic capacity. Tai chi is exceptional to build balance, and strength training is good for building muscle strength. In general, you want to find an exercise type that works for your body and that you enjoy and will stick with, as this is the most important aspect of exercise.”
Consistency is key. Choosing something you enjoy and perhaps an activity that you can do with a partner (someone who will help keep you motivated on those days you don’t want to exercise) will make all the difference.
The Right Dose of Exercise
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends exercising for at least 30 minutes a day, five days a week. “Remember that raking leaves, dancing, playing tag with your grandkids, and walking from the bus station to work can all count as exercising,” she says, adding that if you need to, break up the 30 minutes into two 15-minute sessions or three 10-minute sessions.
Dr. Sylvia also recommends incorporating a mix of exercises into your
weekly routine. Aerobic activity may be the most important, but strength training with weights, machines, resistance bands or other implements is important for overall health and function, too.
Several studies have found that resistance training is associated with improved mood and cognition. One study of 28 sedentary seniors who did resistance training three days a week for 24 weeks found that at the end of the six-month study, the participants showed significant improvement on measures of confusion, tension, anger and total mood. An analysis of more than a dozen studies exploring weight training and mood found that strength-building exercises also helped reduce levels of anxiety.
“Ideally, people would participate in cardiovascular training and strength conditioning, as both are good for your body in different ways,” Dr. Sylvia says. “But some people may lean towards doing one or the other based on preferences. For example, some people prefer the muscle definition that comes with strength training. This is okay, as long as they try to do a little bit of both.”
In addition to cardio and strength training, older adults benefit from stretching and flexibility exercises, as well as balance training. Yoga can be helpful in those areas, as well as being a means to reduce stress.
“Yoga has many benefits, which vary depending on the type of yoga that you practice,” Dr. Sylvia says. “Importantly, all body types can do yoga, and it may be particularly helpful for people who need to improve their balance or are not very flexible. Don’t be afraid. Try it. The bottom line: Find a way to make exercise fun, or at least very doable on most days.”
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