Why active children are exercising their little grey cells

But the fact is that the earlier you can start them on a lifelong habit of exercise, including some intense activity every week, the more likely they are to still have a decent level of brain function in later life, say scientists at King’s College, London.

Researchers found that regular intensive exercise throughout life, as a child and adult, improved brain function at the age of 50, and even exercise done less frequently could offer benefits to the brain.

Dr Alex Dregan, lecturer in translational epidemiology and public health, who led the project, believes the findings support the need for us all to see our cognitive wellbeing – and how we can promote and maintain it – as something we should be aware of throughout life.

Dr Dregan says: “As exercise represents a key component of lifestyle changes to prevent cognitive decline, heart disease, diabetes and cancer...interventions to promote lifelong exercise have the potential to reduce the personal and social burden associated with these conditions in later years.”

Published in the journal Psychological Medicine, the study is one of the first long-term investigations aimed at measuring the effects of lifelong exercise on the brain.

Researchers used information from the UK National Child Development Study to examine levels of exercise between the ages of 11 and 50 in more than 9,000 people – data which had been collected via interviews at the ages of 11.16,33,42,46 and 50.

Participants took three kinds of tests relating to brain function, whose results then fed into a “cognitive index” score. The memory task involved learning ten unrelated words before immediate and delayed recall was tested. “Executive function” was measured by asking them to name as many animals as possible in one minute.

The results showed that those who had exercised weekly both as a child and adult performed better on tests of memory, learning, attention and reasoning at the age of 50 than those who had exercised two to three times a month or less.

The preservation of mental function into later adult years is the focus of major public health concern, and the current Government recommendation is that adults aged 19-64 should do at least 150 minutes’ exercise a week. The King’s study shows that even exercising less frequently can still improve brain function to some degree.

“It’s widely acknowledged that a healthy body equals a healthy mind,” says Dr Dregan.

“However, not everyone is willing or able to take part in the recommended 150 minutes of physical activity a week. For these people any level of physical activity may benefit their mental wellbeing in the long-term. Setting lower exercise targets at the beginning and gradually increasing their frequency and intensity could be a more 
effective method for improving levels of exercise in the wider population.”

The research showed that the greatest benefits to mental skills were felt by those who had been accustomed to lifelong intensive exercise, such as playing a sport regularly, rather than those who had exercised regularly but at a less intense level.

Promoting exercise as a lifelong habit is desirable for everyone, agrees Dr Ian Campbell, who is a GP, writer, founder of the National Obesity Forum and a government adviser.

“Although ideally a child gets 
to love exercise and feel the benefits from very young, taking up regular exercise at any age is beneficial to the brain. Yes, 30 minutes five times a week is the ideal, but any regular activity will improve mental function, and reduce the risk of further mental decline.

“There’s already a lot of evidence that exercise reduces anxiety and depression levels, as well as improving perceptions of the quality of life,

“People who feel more positive suffer fewer illnesses, less 
stiffness in their joints and a whole host of other benefits. And once you start to feel this mood enhancement the more you feel like doing it.”

It sounds like the bottom line is that it’s never too late to start enjoying the virtuous circle of regular exercise – a tonic for mind and body.

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