The elderly have more time to exercise—and that’s good, here’s why—and
should great athletes keep their memory function better if
The elderly have more time to exercise—and that’s good, here’s why—and
Does physical activity help the elder weekend warrior maintain cognitive function or is it just the young and if it does should great athletes keep their memory function better if they avoid concussions ?
A lot of questions about the elderly and exercise, so let’s start to answer them.
When you stress a muscle with any form of exercise YOU change which of your genes are on. Exercising turns on a gene that releases a key protein, CLCF1, that strengthens muscles and helps prevent musculoskeletal aging. While a single round of exercise boosts that protein level in younger folks, it takes 12 weeks of exercise to increase the level in older adults (https://medicalxpress.com/news/2025-06-protein-revives-aging-muscles-bones.html). Persistence is key—so that is the answer to why it is good that the elderly have enough time to put exercise in their regular schedule. Do you?
Is the same thing true for brain health—is more persistence needed in the elderly?
Exercising regularly boosts brain function in almost every study and now more data about weekend warriors and student athletes. A study across the USA, Canada, Norway, Scotland, and the UK demonstrated that student athletes (compared to students who didn’t participate in sports) had higher standardized test score, lower risk for dropping out, and less disciplinary actions (doi: 10.70252/UVXP4768). Could this be due to other factors—many schools take away your ability to participate in organized athletics without maintaining a certain grade point average, for example.
But we know that stressing a muscle turns on another gene in that muscle that produces the small protein irisin. Irisin goes across the blood brain barrier to increase brain derived neurotropic factor (miracle grow) for your memory center –your hippocampus. Now a recent study published in Nature Neuroscience reported that particular brain cells function better after exercise –that led to improved memory and cognition (even in people with Alzheimer’s disease) (https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2025/06/250613013831.htm) (https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-025-01971-w).
Another recent study in the British Journal of Sports Medicine (meta-meta analysis) found that in 250,000 people (all age ranges including children, adults, and older adults) exercising increasing brain health, specifically yoga, tai chi, and video games that require physical movement (called exergames)were the most brain boosting. Cognition was evaluated by the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA), and the Alzheimer’s Disease Assessment Scale-Cognitive Subscale (ADAS-Cog). Memory was evaluated by the Wechsler Memory Scale and Verbal Learning Test. (https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2024-108589).
Now let’s return to that study that started all these questions. What else do we know about exercising in the very senior seniors (age 80 and over):
In the Jerusalem Longitudinal Cohort study (1990-2008), 1861 people born in 1920 and 1921 were evaluated (70 and older) . The physically active versus sedentary 70-year-olds had a 15.2% vs 27.2% 8-year mortality rate; 78 year-olds had a 26.1% vs 40.8% 8-year mortality rate; and 85-year-olds had a 6.8% vs 24.4% 3-year mortality rate (DOI: 10.1001/archinternmed.2009.248[JJ1] ). As to great athletes keeping memory function longer if they avoid concussions, we do not know.
Now while exercise is good for the brain and the body, less than 5% of the US elderly over the age of 65 regularly take advantage of the free Silver Sneakers programs offered through Medicare. How do we increase that if only to decrease musculoskeletal or brain dysfunction in the USA. (A proofreader of this blog told me to add we are not talking about Senators, who have a gym and many use it). It could help to get a workout buddy or team. A buddy can go on walks with you, be pickleball partners, or go swimming together. Not only to maintain your posse, but to also have someone that can hold you accountable. Yes 10,000 steps a day is still the magic number for minimum steps for minimum development of brain dysfunction risk in your lifetime.
As technology is emerging, some blame phone usage for our more sedentary lifestyles. But leverage your phone for good by walking while you chat on your phone with your friends. It is a practice that even I have taken up, walking and talking around the house, office, or outside.
If you like to read and are retired or have a sedentary job, you can invest in a treadmill desk – like me – or a walking pad which is as cheap as $62, but just as much helps garner the steps. These small creative ways will help you reach your goal of 10,000 steps a day with ease.
You might be thinking, “Ok, I get it. I need to work out. But where do I start?”. Walking 10,000 steps (5 miles) a day is a great way to start. But if you haven’t been getting in that many steps, try to gradually increase your step count by 10% every week. Don’t forget your phone is able to effortlessly track your steps via the Heath app on Apple phones and Samsung Health on Android products. Or you can opt for a pedometer if that’s a better fit for you.
Here are the six exercises that I recommend two or three times a week for older adults:
1. Chair-up: Find a non-sliding stable chair and sit in the chair. Get up out of the chair without using your hands or any other guiding objects.
2. Plank: On the floor, place both of your forearms shoulder width apart. Extend your feet all the way back. Then, lift up to support your body.
3. Wall Pushups: Place your hands against the wall and position your body to be slanted towards the wall. Push your hands into the wall until you push your whole body away from the wall.
4. Bent-over Back Row: Using a chair or bench, place your knee and corresponding arm on the chair or bench. Use a weight in your opposite arm with the matching
5. Wall Squats: Put your back against a wall. Adjust your feet so that they are shoulder width apart. Then go down against the wall. It should feel like you are trying to sit in a chair!
6. Lunge: Take a long step to separate your feet from one another. Then squat down and rise back up.
And in adding weights follow the 6 to 12 rule—if you can’t do it 6 times with proper form go to a lighter weight; if you can do it more than 12 times, go for a heavier weight.
And as I always say in these columns, check with your doc before you change any behavior to make sure it is an appropriate behavior change for you.
Thanks for reading,
Michael F. Roizen MD
Jermani M. Jones, research associate
[JJ1]Maybe I can find a way to word this better.