Sharon Sands Simon, the lead researcher and assistant professor of psychiatry at Rutgers University Medical School in New Jersey, announced that menopausal women who regularly engage in aerobic exercise achieve better results in cognitive tests compared to women who focused on stretching and strength training. This research indicates that aerobic exercise can help improve brain executive function.
Details of the Research and Its Results
In this study, researchers divided 93 healthy women aged 20 to 67 into two groups. Half of these women engaged in aerobic exercise while the other half participated in flexibility and strength training exercises. Aerobic exercise included activities such as brisk walking, jogging, and using exercise machines like treadmills and stationary bikes. This research lasted for six months, and the women underwent regular cognitive testing.
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The results showed that women who engaged in aerobic exercise had significant improvements specifically in brain executive skills, including planning, task management, and maintaining focus. Sands Simon stated, "All participants in the study started with a cardiovascular fitness level below average, which relates these results to typical middle-aged and older women."
The Positive Impact of Exercise on Brain Function
Sands Simon further stated, "Menopausal women who engaged in aerobic exercise showed greater improvements in executive function compared to women in the stretching group and premenopausal women who followed the same aerobic program." These results indicate the positive effect of aerobic exercise on enhancing concentration and mental flexibility among menopausal women.
This researcher added, "We observed measurable cognitive advancements within three months of starting the program, and these benefits continued to strengthen throughout the six-month trial period." However, the results indicated that some thinking skills, such as memory or processing speed, did not show similar improvements from aerobic exercise.
Based on this research, the researchers proposed a practical aerobic exercise program that can contribute to brain health. This program includes three to four sessions per week, dedicating 10 to 15 minutes to warm-up and gentle stretching exercises, followed by 45 minutes of continuous aerobic activity.
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