08 May Midlife Movement: How Boosting Exercise Can Protect Your Brain from Alzheimer’s
If you needed one more reason to lace up your sneakers and get moving, here it is: a new study has found that increasing physical activity in midlife can significantly boost brain health and may even help ward off Alzheimer’s disease.
Published on April 30 in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the study adds to a growing body of evidence that what’s good for your body is also good for your brain—especially in your 40s and 50s.
Exercise and the Aging Brain
The research, led by Dr. Muge Akinci of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, tracked 337 cognitively healthy adults over a span of just over four years. These individuals underwent physical activity assessments at the beginning and end of the study, allowing scientists to track changes in their habits and how those changes correlated with brain health.
The findings? People who increased their physical activity to meet World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines—or who stayed consistently active—showed clear brain benefits. They had thicker brain cortices (a measure linked to cognitive strength) and lower levels of amyloid, the protein that builds up in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.
In contrast, those who remained sedentary during the study period had thinner cortices and higher amyloid burdens—two warning signs for cognitive decline.
Why This Matters
What’s particularly exciting is that even people who were previously inactive saw benefits when they started meeting recommended activity levels. In other words, it’s not too late. You don’t have to be a lifelong athlete to protect your brain; starting now can still make a meaningful difference.
The study also highlighted a dose-response effect: more physical activity was associated with greater reductions in amyloid levels. So, the more you move, the better your brain may fare.
Making It Real
The WHO recommends that adults engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity per week—or 75 minutes of vigorous activity. That could mean brisk walking, cycling, swimming, or anything else that gets your heart pumping.
If you’re in midlife and haven’t been particularly active, this study is a compelling reason to start. Not just for your physical fitness, but to preserve memory, reasoning, and cognitive function into older age.
A Call to Action
The researchers are now calling for public health interventions to promote exercise in middle-aged adults, especially those who may be in the early stages of Alzheimer’s but not yet experiencing symptoms.
While some of the study’s authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry, the findings align with many other studies pointing to physical activity as a low-cost, high-impact way to protect your brain.
So, whether it’s a daily walk, a dance class, or weekend hikes—getting more active now could be one of the smartest decisions you make for your future self.
If you needed one more reason to lace up your sneakers and get moving, here it is: a new study has found that increasing physical activity in midlife can significantly boost brain health and may even help ward off Alzheimer’s disease.
Published on April 30 in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia, the study adds to a growing body of evidence that what’s good for your body is also good for your brain—especially in your 40s and 50s.
Exercise and the Aging Brain
The research, led by Dr. Muge Akinci of the Barcelona Institute for Global Health, tracked 337 cognitively healthy adults over a span of just over four years. These individuals underwent physical activity assessments at the beginning and end of the study, allowing scientists to track changes in their habits and how those changes correlated with brain health.
The findings? People who increased their physical activity to meet World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines—or who stayed consistently active—showed clear brain benefits. They had thicker brain cortices (a measure linked to cognitive strength) and lower levels of amyloid, the protein that builds up in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease.
In contrast, those who remained sedentary during the study period had thinner cortices and higher amyloid burdens—two warning signs for cognitive decline.
Why This Matters
What’s particularly exciting is that even people who were previously inactive saw benefits when they started meeting recommended activity levels. In other words, it’s not too late. You don’t have to be a lifelong athlete to protect your brain; starting now can still make a meaningful difference.
The study also highlighted a dose-response effect: more physical activity was associated with greater reductions in amyloid levels. So, the more you move, the better your brain may fare.
Making It Real
The WHO recommends that adults engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity per week—or 75 minutes of vigorous activity. That could mean brisk walking, cycling, swimming, or anything else that gets your heart pumping.
If you’re in midlife and haven’t been particularly active, this study is a compelling reason to start. Not just for your physical fitness, but to preserve memory, reasoning, and cognitive function into older age.
A Call to Action
The researchers are now calling for public health interventions to promote exercise in middle-aged adults, especially those who may be in the early stages of Alzheimer’s but not yet experiencing symptoms.
While some of the study’s authors disclosed ties to the pharmaceutical industry, the findings align with many other studies pointing to physical activity as a low-cost, high-impact way to protect your brain.
So, whether it’s a daily walk, a dance class, or weekend hikes—getting more active now could be one of the smartest decisions you make for your future self.