Want To Age Smarter? Make Strength Training Part Of Your Routine
A new study just gave us another reason to hit the gym: lifting weights may help slow brain aging, especially for older adults at risk of dementia.
A new study1 shows that just two resistance training sessions a week can help protect memory, prevent brain shrinkage, and improve neural health.
The power of lifting for cognitive longevity
The researchers followed 44 older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a common precursor to dementia. Participants were divided into a control group and a group that completed supervised strength training twice a week for 6 months. Here’s what they found:
- Improved memory: The strength training group showed significant gains in verbal episodic memory, an essential cognitive skill that often declines early in dementia.
- Brain protection: MRI scans revealed that training helped preserve gray matter in key regions affected by Alzheimer’s—namely, the right hippocampus and precuneus.
- Better white matter integrity: White matter, often described as the brain’s communication highway, improved in the training group and declined in those who didn’t exercise.
- MCI reversal: Some participants who strength trained no longer met the criteria for MCI by the end of the study.
The takeaway
Lifting weights isn’t just about building muscle; it may also slow brain aging and improve memory in people at risk for dementia. And the best part? It only took two sessions a week to see results.
So, whether you’re new to strength training or a longtime lifter, know that each rep is doing more than toning your body—it’s giving your brain a powerful boost too.
+Your guide to strength training
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