Non-aeroboc exercise beefs up the brain

Strength training and other non-aerobic exercise can pump up your thinking skills, according to a report in the October 2008 Report in the Journal of American Geriatrics Society.

Researchers compared 24 older adults who received standard care with 28 older adults who participated in an exercise regimen as part of a falls-prevention program.

They found that after six months of engaging in exercises designed to improve balance and strengthen ankles, knees and hips, the exercise group showed reduced incidence of falls and 13 per cent improvement in tasks involving complex thinking skills.

In contast, subjects who received standard care showed a 10 per cent decline in thinking skills.

Your Health and Mine