According to a recent study, some of the advantages of exercise are stronger for women than for men.
As we age, mental and physical activity are beneficial for maintaining cognitive function and delaying dementia. According to studies published by the American Academy of Neurology, even brief periods of exercise speed up our brains’ ability to process information, and this effect is especially pronounced in women.
Brisk walking or biking for as little as 15 minutes each week can help people think more rapidly and also slow the processing delay that elderly people frequently encounter.
“We found that greater physical activity was associated with greater thinking speed reserve in women, but not in men,” said study author Judy Pa, a professor of neurosciences at the University of California, San Diego in a statement. “Taking part in more mental activities was associated with greater thinking speed reserve for both men and women.”
Even if its just 15 minutes a week of vigorous walking or bicycling can help people think more quickly and reduce the processing speed lag that elderly people frequently face. Researchers discovered that playing cards, reading, and other mental exercises are beneficial for both men and women’s cognitive speeds.
An important aspect of brain health is processing speed. It enables us to make better plans, deal with issues, sustain dialogues, and stay focused. 758 participants in the study gave details about their mental and physical activity. While some showed evidence of dementia or cognitive impairment, others showed no signs of thinking or memory issues.
Researchers compared the survey results to hippocampal brain scans of the participants, a region of the brain linked to learning and memory.
The aging of a person’s mental processing speed was reduced by 17 years for males and 10 years for women by engaging in more mental activity, such as playing cards or bingo. The study concluded that physical activity had no discernible effects on memory.
Parvathy Sukumaran 
