Recent studies show the ways in which exercise benefits the brain.

Levels of a protein known as brain-derived neurotrophic factor, or BDNF, which is known to promote the health of nerve cells is the measure of the effect exercise on the brain.

For some time, scientists have believed that BDNF helps explain why mental functioning appears to improve with exercise. However, they haven’t fully understood which parts of the brain are affected or how those effects influence thinking. The Irish study suggests that the increases in BDNF prompted by exercise may play a particular role in improving memory and recall.

So, it is not just vanity that will get you into the gym but the benefits to mind and body that will carry you into old age on your own two feet.