How cardio affects the brain, with Gronya Somerville

ARTICLE

1 December 2024

4 min read

Can cardio improve our memory? That’s the question we asked Monash Biomedical Imagery, in the final instalment of our brain health series.

When you think of ‘brain exercises’ your mind probably goes straight to things like Sudoku or Wordle. And while these activities can certainly improve our cognitive ability, they’re not the only way we can keep our brain healthy.

At Monash Biomedical Imagery (MBI), neuroscientists and exercise physiologists have been working together to better understand the impacts of exercise on the brain, with a particular focus on memory. Naturally, we had a few questions for them, so we brought Olympian and AIA Ambassador Gronya Somerville along to talk (and maybe run a little).

The Brain on Cardio with Gronya Somerville - Full episode

Testing cardio’s impact on the brain

To understand how exercise affects the brain, we need to (you guessed it): exercise. Using high resolution brain imaging techniques like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), MBI tested the cardio and respiratory fitness of a range of participants, studying their brain’s structure and function in the process.

Here’s what they found:

Improved memory

Aside from bettering our overall health, exercise improves our brain’s structure and function, particularly the hippocampus, a region of brain where memories are formed and stored.

MBI found that people who exercised regularly and had higher cardiorespiratory fitness, had a lager hippocampal volume and better neuronal cell health. In other words: exercise improves the plasticity of the hippocampus area, allowing us to form new memories and recall old ones more easily, as we age.

Strong body = strong mind.

To process glucose effectively and keep it within normal range, our body produces a hormone called insulin. With regular exercise, we can increase our brain’s sensitivity to insulin and overall blood flow, thus improving our brain’s overall health and cognitive activity, particularly in regions responsible for memory, attention, and problem solving.

You don’t have to be a professional athlete to reap the mental benefits of exercise. Simply carving out a few minutes of physical activity a day will accumulate to significant benefits in your brain now and in the future.

AIA Vitality members can earn up to 15,000 points per membership year for engaging in physical activity. Linking and syncing a fitness device is the best way to ensure your physical activity earns you AIA Vitality Points to progress your AIA Vitality Status and unlock benefits and rewards.

Staff Writer

Staff writers come from a range of backgrounds including health, wellbeing, music, tech, culture and the arts. They spend their time researching the latest data and trends in the health market to deliver up-to-date information, helping everyday Australians live healthier lives. This is general information only and is not intended as medical, health, nutritional or other advice. You should obtain professional advice from a medical or health practitioner in relation to your own personal circumstances.

Copyright © 2024 AIA Australia Limited (ABN 79 004 837 861 AFSL 230043). This is general information only, without taking into account factors like the objectives, financial situation, needs or personal circumstances of any individual and is not intended to be financial, legal, tax, medical, nutritional, health, fitness or other advice. The source information of the articles is current as of the date of publication and may be subject to change. While the information contained herein is believed to be accurate, AIA Australia expressly disclaims any and all liability for representations or warranties, expressed or implied, contained in, or for omissions from, the information.

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