Exercise Can Actually Make Your Brain Look Younger, MRI Scans Reveal

Alongside better sleep, improved weight regulation, and extended lifespan – and a range of other physical and mental health benefits – we might be able to add a more youthful brain profile as a reason to exercise.

In a new 12-month clinical trial of 130 healthy adults aged between 26 and 58, researchers from the US found that participants who followed a comprehensive weekly exercise regimen ended up with brains that showed signs of being biologically younger than those of a control group.

When scientists talk about biological aging, in simple terms it means the wear-and-tear associated with getting older. While all of us celebrate one birthday every year, different parts of our bodies can be wearing out faster than others.