Older Women Exercise Benefits
Study looks at impact of exercise on thinking speed.
Here’s some fun fitness news about older women and exercise. New research reveals gender differences from the effects of exercise on cognitive function in older adults. University of California, San Diego scientists studied the relationship between physical activity, gender and cognitive activities on 758 male and female participants with a mean age of 76 years.
Self-reported physical and cognitive activities are linked with cognitive reserve; however, the association between more physical activity and cognitive reserve was only present in women. Cognitive reserve refers to the ability to preserve cognition even when brain changes occur due to disease or aging.
“We found that greater physical activity was associated with greater thinking speed reserve in women, but not in men,” said lead study author Judy Pa, PhD, associate professor of neurology and gerontology at UCSD School of Medicine. “Taking part in more mental activities was associated with greater thinking speed reserve for both men and women.”
The study on older women and exercise is published in Neurology (2022; 99 [8]).
See also: Integrating Cognitive Training Into Exercise Programs for Older Adults
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA
Shirley Eichenberger-Archer, JD, MA, is an internationally acknowledged integrative health and mindfulness specialist, best-selling author of 16 fitness and wellness books translated into multiple languages and sold worldwide, award-winning health journalist, contributing editor to Fitness Journal, media spokesperson, and IDEA's 2008 Fitness Instructor of the Year. She's a 25-year industry veteran and former health and fitness educator at the Stanford Prevention Research Center, who has served on multiple industry committees and co-authored trade books and manuals for ACE, ACSM and YMCA of the USA. She has appeared on TV worldwide and was a featured trainer on America's Next Top Model.
