Who knew that active bipedalism could be so good for our brains!

Some evidence: A study found that in a sample of 900 men and women aged 65 and over, those who were active walkers, joggers, gardeners, dancers or bicyclers had noticeably thicker gray matter in their brains compared to those were not active exercisers at the start of the study. The biggest impact was seen in the areas of the brain responsible for memory functioning and higher-level mental functions like reasoning, judgement, planning and problem-solving. Further, as these active adults aged, they had 50% less presence of memory difficulties compared to the group of less-active adults of the same age.

What is the take-away? Our bodies were designed to move! When we move our bodies, we take care of our brains.

Even better, our bodies aren’t picky about which movement we choose. Moving is one of the best ways of maintaining a youthful brain. Cultivating that habit is well worth striking up the band and dancing the night away in celebration!

To learn more, read this NYT article.