Get Moving for Memory

Quick Win

Aerobic exercise is important for overall health, including brain health. Spend 20 to 30 minutes today doing a moderate-intensity workout.

Try This Today

• Choose your moves. What’s manageable today? A brisk walk outdoors or a hike on a nearby trail? A bike ride? If you’re staying indoors, options include treadmill walking, aerobic dance classes like Zumba and online exercise videos. (Check with your doctor before starting a new exercise program.)
• Get in the zone. As a rule of thumb, you’re at moderate intensity during physical activity when you’re breathing faster than usual but not out of breath — if you can talk easily but not sing, you’re there. Knowing your target heart rate can help you stay in the proper range; check out the American Heart Association’s guide.
• Listen to your body. What is moderate-intensity exercise for one person may be strenuous to another. If your walk feels too easy, for example, pick up the pace or add hills. If you’re mildly out of breath or feel achy, slow down or take a break. If you can't breathe or feel pain, seek medical attention.

Why

Large-scale population studies have linked regular physical activity with better brain function later in life. Clinical research has shown benefits, too. After getting the recommended 150 minutes per week of moderate-intensity aerobic exercise for 12 weeks, 24 previously inactive adults ages 50 to 75 improved their cognitive test scores in a study published in the journal Life in 2024. And aerobic exercise was found to boost overall cognition and memory in people with mild cognitive impairment in a review published in Frontiers in Psychiatry in 2026. In that report, researchers analyzed the results of 33 studies with 1,996 total participants and concluded that three to five aerobic workouts per week is enough to gain brain benefits.