In his book "Incognito: The Secret Lives of the Brain," David Eagleman brings up a very interesting point. He mentioned it somewhat in passing but I, as is my way, became obsessed with it. Eagleman mentioned that occasionally when mentally sharp and lucid people die, doctors later find that the deceased brains had all of the physical damage associated with Alzheimer's Disease. These people had not had Alzheimer's. Or at least they had, by staying mentally and physically active, managed to keep the disease from affecting them.
This idea thoroughly fascinated me and that was just compounded when I saw this. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic conducted an analysis in which they reviewed over 1600 research papers and found strong evidence to suggest that exercise has neuroprotective effects. Exercise was shown to improve memory, increase neuroplasticity, prevent dementia and other cognitive impairments. Specifically, these benefits were shown with aerobic exercise.
The researchers used a very broad definition of "aerobic exercise" and included anything that raised the heart rate and increased the body's need for oxygen.
More research is needed on the exact relationship between neurological health and aerobic exercise but you can't go wrong exercising regularly. So now you have just one more reason!
