We Talk About Brain and Body Aging Like They’re Separate
I’ve been thinking a lot about aging lately. Often we hear about physical decline on one side, cognitive decline on the other, as though they’re separate things, just happening at the same time.
But the reality is brain and body age together (this may or may not be good news to you), after all, we are one whole being, and more importantly, they respond to movement together.
The same systems that govern how well we move also influence how well we think, regulate mood, consolidate memory and manage stress.
The hippocampus, the part of the brain most associated with learning and memory, is one of the few areas that holds onto some ability to grow new cells in adulthood, and the evidence points consistently to aerobic movement as one of the more reliable ways to support that.
The prefrontal cortex, which handles a lot of our executive function, things like working memory, focus and impulse control, also shows measurable improvements after exercise, with effects that can last for hours afterward.
This means is that when we move well and consistently, we’re not just maintaining muscle, joint function and cardiovascular capacity, we’re also supporting the conditions that help the brain stay sharp.
On the flip side, this also raises a real question. Some of what we put down to “just getting older”, like slower brain processing, more difficulty managing stress, less resilience to disruption, may be, at least in part, connected to how our movement patterns have changed over time.
That’s not something the research proves outright, but given what we know about how closely brain and body are linked, it’s a connection worth considering.
And it’s not just hard, high intensity exercise that’s important, though it has its place. It’s also movement that’s varied, that needs coordination and attention, and takes us into different positions that asks us to react and respond.
The brain seems to benefit most when movement isn’t just physical effort but also needs genuine engagement.
If you train regularly, (and I’m sure you do) this is reassuring but it’s also worth giving some thought to.
The investment we’re making with how we move doesn’t just pay off in how we feel now or in this decade, it’s in how we function in every decade after.
Moving well now is one of the more reliable things we can do for our future selves.
