Regular aerobic exercise has profound and enduring effects on the brain, including brain volume, cognition, and mood. According to a meta-analysis conducted by Colcombe and Kramer, fitness training in the elderly improved performance by approximately .5 of a standard deviation across all tasks tested. The most significant effects were seen in executive functions, followed by tasks related to the transition from effortful learning to automatic processing, visuo-spatial factors, and low-level reaction time tasks. These neurocognitive benefits of exercise are apparent throughout life, but are more evident in older participants. Additionally, there is a potential link between increased fitness levels and larger hippocampal volumes in adults, which is important for memory and reducing the risk of dementia. Regular aerobic exercise increases the volume of key brain areas involved in memory.
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