Physical activity seems to support brain health regardless of your age or how demanding your exercise programme is, according to the largest and most wide-ranging umbrella review conducted so far.
Across this extensive synthesis, children and teenagers showed the biggest exercise-linked improvements in memory. Meanwhile, the greatest gains in executive function - skills tied to planning and problem-solving - appeared among people with ADHD.
When the researchers looked at cognition overall, however, the results were broadly consistent across all age groups. The cognitive uplift also did not vary meaningfully with exercise intensity, how long sessions lasted, or how often they were done.
Even physically active video games were associated with positive brain effects. Notably, some of the strongest outcomes for cognition and memory were linked to exergames such as Pokemon Go, as well as mind–body approaches like Tai Chi.
"This is an encouraging finding, as it suggests that engaging, low-impact activities can offer real cognitive benefits," says lead author and health researcher Ben Singh from the University of South Australia.
"Most forms of exercise appear effective," SIngh and his team explain, "including light-intensity activities, exergaming, and mind-body practices such as yoga and Tai Chi, making exercise an accessible and versatile intervention."
What the umbrella review examined
The meta-meta-analysis drew on 133 systematic reviews, bringing together 2,724 randomised controlled trials and more than a quarter of a million participants. By pooling this volume of evidence, the team was able to investigate links between exercise and cognition in unusually comprehensive fashion.
Previous research has repeatedly indicated that even brief periods of physical exercise can boost memory and learning in the short term, and potentially over longer periods too. Historically, though, many reviews have narrowed in on specific exercise types - for example, high-intensity versus low-intensity activity - and on particular groups, such as older adults, children, or people living with cognitive impairment or neurological disease.
"While each of these reviews has provided valuable insight into the impact that exercise can have on cognitive function and memory," write the authors of the new meta- meta-analysis, "…there is a need to comprehensively evaluate the impact of all exercises on general cognition, memory, and executive function across all populations."
The team found only one other umbrella review addressing the topic, and it included healthy participants only; in that review, the cognitive effects of exercise were judged inconclusive.
Results across ages, health status, and exercise type
In contrast, the new review considered both healthy and unwell participants spanning all ages, provided they were included in randomised controlled trials - studies intended to detect real effects rather than simple associations.
When Singh and colleagues examined 107 meta-analyses, they found that exercise produced a significant improvement in general cognition. This pattern held across age brackets and across different exercise modalities. Differences only became apparent once cognition was separated into memory and executive function, at which point variation emerged between subgroups and between exercise approaches.
Exergames, yoga, and Tai Chi: complex movement patterns
Some of the strongest overall cognitive results were tied to activities that lean on more intricate movement patterns, including yoga, Tai Chi, and exergames. Although these activities are typically low-intensity, they may still provide a distinctive sort of training for the brain.
A possible ceiling effect in cognition measures
The authors of the umbrella review note that many of the trials they included measured cognition in a way that focuses on identifying impairment, rather than capturing differences across individuals’ cognitive ability levels.
This raises the possibility that the current findings reflect "ceiling effects". Put simply, certain people may stand to gain more from exercise, yet improvements may level off for everyone beyond a particular point.
"This review provides robust evidence for healthcare practitioners to confidently recommend exercise as an effective intervention for enhancing general cognition, memory, and executive function in patients of all ages and health statuses," write the authors of the umbrella review.
"While the evidence base highlights the need for further high-quality studies to confirm and refine these findings, this review provides strong support for the role of exercise in promoting cognitive function and overall health."
Publication
The study was published in BMSJ.
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