How to Look Younger — On the Inside

Turn Back Time: Exercise’s benefits are often associated with external youthful qualities, like brighter, tighter skin and a muscular body. But a growing body of research suggests one of exercise’s most meaningful aging benefits happens where you can’t see it: the brain.

The Study: A new clinical trial followed 130 healthy adults ages 26 to 58 for one year to examine how aerobic exercise affects the brain. Participants were placed into either an exercise group or a control group. Those assigned to exercise completed roughly 150 minutes per week for 12 months. At the end of the study, the exercise group demonstrated a modest reduction in estimated brain age (-0.6 years), while the non-exercising group experienced a small increase (+0.35 years) over the same period.

The Takeaway: Consistent aerobic exercise may slow structural brain aging. For most adults, hitting the standard guideline of 150 minutes per week appears to matter to the effect of nearly a year in brain age.

You Should Know: This study focused on healthy adults, not people with neurological disease, and it doesn’t prove exercise can prevent dementia. Still, it adds to strong evidence that moving your body regularly is one of the most reliable ways to protect your brain.