The impact of exercise on brain health

The Global Council on Brain Health (GCBH) convened its first meeting of issue specialist’s April 14, 2016, in Vancouver, Canada, to examine the impact of physical activity on brain health.

The GCBH exercise issue specialists came from four continents and a wide range of perspectives and disciplines, including gerontology, internal medicine, psychology, physical therapy,

epidemiology, sports psychology, exercise physiology, old age psychiatry and public health. In addition to these specialists, the meeting included several members of the Governance

Committee, GCBH and AARP staff, liaisons with relevant expertise from civic and nonprofit organization, and was moderated by James Hamblin, M.D., senior editor at the _Atlantic_. The issue

specialists considered questions such as whether exercise helps aging brains function better, what is known about the intensity and duration of exercise needed to promote brain health, and

how the GCBH can motivate sustained behavior change. Recommendations were circulated within the GCBH, reviewed by other experts in the field and evaluated by the GCBH Governance Committee.

As a result of these deliberations, the GCBH Governance Committee approved the following recommendations on physical activity and brain health for people as they age.