Anti-ageing: Brain training and exercise boosts elderly fitness, study finds

A novel training approach combining physical exercise with cognitive tasks has shown significant improvements in both mental and physical performance among elderly women, according to research published in Psychology of Sport & Exercise.

The study, conducted jointly by Spain’s University of Extremadura and the University of Birmingham, examined the effects of Brain Endurance Training (BET) on 24 healthy women aged 65-78 who led predominantly sedentary lifestyles.

Researchers divided participants into three groups: one following the BET approach, another performing only physical exercise, and a control group.

The two training groups completed three 45-minute sessions weekly over eight weeks, comprising 20 minutes of resistance exercises and 25 minutes of walking.

The BET group additionally performed 20 minutes of cognitive tasks before each physical training session.

Dr Chris Ring from the University of Birmingham, the study’s corresponding author, said: “We demonstrated that the BET approach could be an effective intervention for improving cognitive and physical performance in older adults, even when fatigued”.

The BET group showed markedly better results, achieving a 59.4% improvement in sit-to-stand test performance when tired, compared to 47.5% in the exercise-only group.

In cognitive assessments, the BET group demonstrated a 12.1% improvement in Stroop test accuracy when fatigued, versus 6.9% in the exercise-only group.

Participants’ performance was evaluated at four points: before training, mid-programme, immediately after completion, and four weeks later.

Assessment included psychomotor vigilance tasks measuring reaction time and alertness, alongside the Stroop test for cognitive control.

The findings suggest BET could help reduce the risk of falls and accidents among older adults, potentially leading to improved health outcomes and quality of life for the elderly population, researchers said.