Beat Dementia:  Lift Weights

New studies show that weight training can protect the brain against dementia by stimulating a protein for the growth of neurons and by reducing inflammation in the body.

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Results from Exercise and Brain Performance Studies: 

• Resistance Training had the most significant impact on overall cognitive function as compared to other modes (aerobic exercise and high intensity intervals and physical-mental training like Tai Chi).
• Aerobic exercise was the most beneficial for memory.
• Resistance training stimulates the release of BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), a protein that enhances neuron growth and communication.
• Resistance training enhances blood flow and reduces inflammation.
• Resistance training may improve brain executive function and motor planning and neuromuscular coordination.

May 2025
​Each morning I look forward to reading Arnold Schwarzenegger's Pump Club newsletter, whose tagline is "Lift Up the World."  I've been a fan for many years, since he won Mr. Universe in 1980.  This morning's news included a section "The Workouts that Build (and Protect) Your Brain."  I scrolled right to it, as I have been enjoying the benefits of resistance training for 40 years.

"A year from now, you will wish you would have started today."  - Karen Lamb

Sources

Sao Paulo Research Foundation.  April 1, 2025.  Weight training shields the brain from dementia in older adults.    News-medical.net.