Like your biceps and quads, memory is a muscle that takes training for optimal performance. A January 2023 study confirmed this, finding that just 10 minutes of physical exercise per day can improve cognition over time. But the physical is just half the battle—memory’s function is mental, too, which is why experts recommend incorporating all types of exercise (i.e. cardio and word games) to stay sharp.
“Memory works through practice,” says Dave Rabin, M.D., Ph.D., a neuroscientist, psychiatrist, and co-founder of Apollo Neuroscience. “The more we practice doing anything, as humans, the better our brain functions at a higher level.” Keep reading for all the types of brain exercises for memory that are worth prioritizing for health and longevity.
Why might exercise sharpen your memory and thinking?
The aforementioned study, published in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health, found that doing moderate and vigorous exercise was linked to much higher cognition scores than people who spent most of their time sitting, sleeping, or doing gentle activities. (Vigorous exercise generally includes things like running, swimming, biking up an incline, and dancing; moderate exercise includes brisk walking and anything that gets your heart beating faster.)
The researchers specifically found that people who did these workouts had better working memory (the small amount of information that can be held in your mind and used in the execution of cognitive tasks) and that the biggest impact was on executive processes like planning and organization.
Dr. Rabin’s recommendations align with the study’s findings. “Physical exercise contributes to a healthy memory because it creates a way for us to physically train the health and resilience of our bodies, which is important,” he says. “It’s a process that we call hormesis, which means to put the body under stress, like intense exercise or hot and cold plunges...” These intense, but controlled experiences that don’t pose a threat, he explains, build up the body’s resilience. “And because the mind and the body are connected, it also trains our mental and emotional resilience,” he continues. “And we’re less restless, less anxious as a result.”
This clarity bred by exercise can eliminate the mental noise that often interrupts memory storage and recollection.“The two main factors in memory retention are where we put our attention, and how much stress and anxiety we’re under at the time,” he explains. “Stress and anxiety oppose new memory storage.”
Just light exercise—10 or 20 minutes of walking a day—can be enough to take the edge off. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also specifically states online that physical activity can help improve your cognitive health, improving memory, emotional balance, and problem-solving.
Other reasons working out provides a brain boost? Ryan Glatt, C.P.T., senior brain health coach and director of the FitBrain Program at Pacific Neuroscience Institute in Santa Monica, CA says previous research suggests that “it is possible that different levels of activity may affect brain blood flow and cognition.” Meaning, exercising at a harder clip can stimulate blood flow to your brain and enhance your ability to think well in the process.
“It could [also] relate to a variety of factors related to brain growth and skeletal muscle,” says Steven K. Malin, Ph.D., associate professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. “Often, studies show the more aerobically fit individuals are, the more dense brain tissue is, suggesting better connectivity of tissue and health.”
Exercise also activates skeletal muscles (the muscles that connect to your bones) that are thought to release hormones that communicate with your brain to influence the health and function of your neurons, i.e. cells that act as information messengers, Malin says. “This could, in turn, promote growth and regeneration of brain cells that assist with memory and cognition,” he says.
The best physical exercises for your memory
Currently, the CDC recommends that most adults get at least 150 minutes a week of moderate-intensity exercise. Overall, the CDC suggests doing the following to squeeze more exercise into your life to enhance your brain health:
- Dance: Whether it’s attending a cardio dance class or rehearsing a viral TikTok dance, getting your heart rate up to music and memorizing a few steps is great for the mind-body connection.
- Do squats or march in place while watching TV: The multi-tasking component of getting your heart rate up and taking in new information is more impactful than you might realize.
- Start a walking routine: Dr. Rabin says taking walks is great for memory. Stroll around the neighborhood and take note of your route. Memorize said route, and when you feel good about it, establish another. Rotate through your routes every few weeks to keep your memory and your exercise regimen fresh.
- Use the stairs: If you find it difficult to make time for movement, work it into your day by opting for the stairs instead of the elevator.
- Walk your dog, if you have one: One study found that dog owners walk, on average, 22 minutes more every day than people who don’t own dogs.
If you want to do more vigorous movement, like the above study suggests, you can try some heart-pumping workouts like:
- HIIT workouts: This interval training is sure to make you break a sweat, and it challenges your memory by repeating a circuit of movements that you can improve on over time.
- Running: Running gets the heart rate up relatively quickly, and can help with emotional balance, and therefore memory, per the CDC.
- Jogging: Jogging is a great option if you’d like to run it out but might struggle with joint pain. With enough distance, it still increases the heart rate and blood flow, which is ideal for brain health.
- Swimming: Studies find swimmings improves memory, cognitive function and mood. Some research says it may also help form new neural connections, potentially improving learning.
- Biking on an incline: Amping up a regular bike ride with some inclined terrain—be that outside or on a spin bike—is a surefire way to get the heart pumping.
Malin’s advice: “Take breaks in sitting throughout the day by doing activity ‘snacks.’” That could mean doing a minute or two of jumping jacks, climbing stairs at a brisk pace, or doing air squats or push-ups to try to replace about six to 10 minutes of sedentary behavior a day. “Alternatively, trying to get walks in for about 10 minutes could go a long way,” he says.
More brain exercises for memory to do at home
As important as breaking a sweat for memory is consistently challenging yourself to remember, be that in the form of driving home without the use of Google Maps or playing mobile memory games in bed.
“Mental exercises are the most important for memory because the more we practice remembering things like phone numbers, addresses, people’s names, faces, music, titles, driving directions, the better our memory gets,” says Dr. Rabin. “So it’s important that we train ourselves to not be reliant on technology for these things forever, but to use the technology to teach us how to expand our memory capacity on our own.”
Another crucial exercise for memory is simply breathing. “Breathing kind of crosses the barrier between mental and physical exercises,” Dr. Rabin explains. “Practicing breathing intentionally, which is a form of meditation, is extremely helpful for our memory and memory practice.”
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