Any certified trainer or health professional will confirm that exercise has many benefits for the whole body, and most of these benefits have nothing to do with how our bodies look. The older we get, the more important it becomes to stay as active as possible to protect our body and mind. A new study from the University of Georgia suggests that physical activity may help maintain brain health over the years.

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In a study published in the journal Sport Sciences for Health, 51 older adults were provided with measuring devices that measured steps traveled, distance traveled, and physical activity during the day. Their fitness level was measured based on the distance they could cover in a six-minute walking test. In addition, they underwent tests to measure their cognitive abilities and MRI scans were carried out to examine their brain functions.

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To measure each participant's brain function, the researchers analyzed the way the various networks in the brain communicate with each other. These networks send information all the time, but depending on human activity, different parts are active at different times. This means that the network that is active when you are resting should not be active when you are concentrating on a task, for example.

When these networks don't work properly and aren't activated or shut down when they should, things like memory or self-control are affected. As we all know, these things increase with age.

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The study found that people who took more steps and had better results on the six-minute walk test also had better cognitive function, suggesting that fitness could protect our brains as we age.

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These results don't mean that you should run another marathon at 60. But it's clear that more exercise can be helpful for brain health and makes us more independent as we age.