I keep saying... Light exercise sharpens the memory

I realise I do go on about exercising – but with good reason. Because a burst of light exercise can sharpen the memory by increasing connections between the brain regions linked to memory.

For a University of California study, 36 volunteers in their early 20s were asked to spend 10 minutes doing light exercise before taking a memory test, and then to do the same test without exercising. Meanwhile, their brains were scanned to monitor activity. Not only did the participants perform better after exercise, but scans showed enhanced communication between the hippocampus – key to memory storage – and the brain cortex, involved in vivid recollection.

The study adds to other research that has found that people who exercise often in middle age are less likely to develop dementia.