Midlife Exercise Cuts Brain Age by 7 Months After 1 Year, Study Finds
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Jun 23
Midlife Exercise Cuts Brain Age by 7 Months After 1 Year, Study Finds
1 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jun 23
Summary
130 inactive adults ages 26 to 58 who followed a yearlong aerobic program ended with brains that appeared about seven months younger on MRI-based age estimates, while non-exercisers' brains looked slightly older.
150 minutes a week of mostly brisk walking, jogging, cycling or treadmill work drove the change, with supervised lab sessions twice weekly plus additional home exercise.
Researchers found no clear link between the brain-age shift and gains in fitness, blood pressure or body weight, pointing instead to possible roles for inflammation, insulin sensitivity or stress hormones.
The findings suggest ages 35 to 55 may be a key window to alter brain-aging trajectories, though the study did not show which brain regions changed or whether memory, cognition or dementia risk improved.
If exercise makes a brain younger, what specific cognitive abilities like memory or focus see the most improvement?
Does exercise make brains younger, or do healthier brains simply lead to more active lifestyles?
If insulin resistance ages the brain, can diet alone provide the same anti-aging benefits as exercise?
One Year of Regular Exercise Can Make Your Brain One Year Younger: New Evidence for Midlife Brain Rejuvenation
Overview
A major 2025 study found that a year of regular moderate-to-vigorous aerobic exercise can make the midlife brain biologically younger. In a clinical trial with 130 adults aged 26 to 58, participants who followed exercise guidelines—150 minutes per week—showed nearly a one-year reduction in brain age, as measured by MRI. This suggests that consistent exercise is a practical way to help keep the brain younger and healthier during midlife. While the changes were modest and the study focused on healthy, well-educated volunteers, the findings highlight the proactive role of physical activity in protecting brain health.