Exercise is linked to many benefits, such as lowering blood pressure and prevention of fitness decline in old age. Previous research has also shown that exercise is linked to better brain health, as it improves cognition, mental well-being, and protects against neurodegeneration. However, there is variability in how individuals respond to it. In addition, studies often investigate the impact of exercise on isolated brain regions, without quantifying its impact on brain ageing or evaluating its effects in long-term interventions.
In a recent study published in the journal GeroScience (Springer Nature), a team of researchers led by Prof. C.J. Boraxbekk and Prof. A. M. Ibanez (Institute of Sports Medicine Copenhagen, Denmark and Cognitive Neuroscience Center, Universidad de San Andrés, Buenos Aires, Argentina, respectively) quantified the impact of resistance exercise training (i.e. the one that involves exercises that make your muscles work against a force, e.g. resistance bands or free weights) on brain health using longitudinal assessments.
The study included magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from 2,433 healthy adults aged from 31 to 89 years old (46% were female). These data helped researchers train models to predict brain age, which were then applied to 309 participants (aged 62 to 70) from the Live Active Successful Aging randomised trial. These 309 participants were assigned to the heavy-resistance training (HRT), moderate-intensity training (MIT), or the non-exercise control group as part of a one-year intervention programme. Both exercise groups followed a combined programme that included resistance exercises and functional training, designed to improve strength, endurance and balance. HRT participants attended three supervised sessions per week at a training centre, whereas the MIT group attended one supervised session per week and completed two additional unsupervised home-based sessions. The non-exercise group was instructed to maintain their physical activity levels to less than one hour of strenuous physical activity per week. All the participants underwent an MRI and were assessed for their physical fitness at baseline. The follow-up assessments were done at one and two years.
The results showed that only the heavy and moderate resistance training groups slowed brain ageing in older adults and had a beneficial effect beyond specific brain regions. Resistance training has lasting effects beyond the training period, has a global impact on brain health and may have a role as a preventive strategy for maintaining brain health. Despite these strengths, the study presents some limitations. For example, the generalisability of the findings is limited to healthy, older adults from a high-income European context. Therefore, future studies should test these effects in more diverse populations and explore additional mechanisms underlying exercise-related brain improvements.
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11357-026-02141-x
