CHAMPAIGN, Ill., Jan. 2 (UPI) -- Exercise, proven to stimulate brain activity of seniors, also benefits brain activity of teenagers, U.S. and Dutch researchers showed.
Researchers from the University of Illinois and Vrije Universiteit in Amsterdam teamed to study the relationship of fitness, the brain and recognition. They reviewed data on people in their mid-teens to early 70s, the Champaign (Ill.) New-Gazette said. Previous studies said regular exercise improves brain structure and function of senior citizens, including increasing the gray and white matter and improving performance on cognitive tests.
Based on the Dutch data, some of the benefits seen in senior citizens also can be seen in young people, said Charles Hillman, University of Illinois kinesiology and community health professor. Younger people, ages 15 to 39 years, were faster but didn't show a significant improvement in accuracy. Improvement was noted, however, in another study in which when participants were forced to change tasks while taking tests.
Hillman said the studies indicate a link may exist between physical fitness and the health of the brain across the life span. Exercising may have a protective effect against the decline in a person's cognitive ability during the aging process, he said.
