Many people worry more about brain health than heart health as they get older.
And that makes a lot of sense, since age related mental decline is common. But do you exercise?
Research from Victoria University suggests that physical activity may help protect the brain against age related decline, including dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr. James Broatch led the research, which looked at how exercise can affect the brain’s glymphatic system.
This network helps remove waste from the brain and is particularly active during sleep.
Researchers believe the system becomes increasingly important with the aging process.
Exercise: Not just for the Heart
The peer-reviewed analysis, “Exercise as a regulator of glymphatic function,” was published in Trends in Neurosciences (2026).
Researchers reviewed studies involving both humans and animals.
The evidence suggests exercise may improve several processes involved in glymphatic function.
These include lowering blood pressure and blood vessel stiffness, reducing brain inflammation, improving neuron activity and lowering resting norepinephrine levels.
Exercise can also have a positive effect on sleep quality, including deep sleep and the slow-wave activity believed to help the brain clear waste.
Exercise and the Brain’s Waste Removal System
The glymphatic system essentially acts as a cleanup system for the brain.
The paper explains that poor clearance of waste could become increasingly harmful with age.
Sleep plays a major role in this process, but getting good quality sleep can become more difficult as people get older.
That raises an interesting possibility: Could exercise help the brain’s nighttime cleanup process?
The researchers say yes. Exercise could potentially support glymphatic function through several pathways at once.
Better sleep, healthier blood vessels and lower inflammation can all contribute to keeping the system working properly. More research is needed though.
For example, it’s not yet known exactly how much exercise people need or which types of exercise work best.
It’s also unclear whether the recommendations should be different for people who already have cognitive problems or a diagnosed neurological disease.
Nevertheless, it only stands to reason that an exercise regimen would benefit the brain, as the brain is an organ, and all organs reap the benefits of working out.
