More than Muscle: The Use of Resistance Training to Improve Brain Health

Neurological disorders have become one of the leading causes of health burden globally, creating a need to improve and optimize brain health. Exercise has become one of the key tools in improving and retaining brain health. Aerobic Exercise has been shown to significantly improve cognitive function in pre-adolescents and older adults. However, evidence suggests that resistance training can be a more potent mode of exercise. Resistance training improves brain health at both low and high intensity, while aerobic exercise is only beneficial at high intensity. Introducing novel variations into resistance training in the form of asymmetrical loading may enhance outcomes linked to better functioning of the brain. A bilateral asymmetrical training regimen introduces a biomechanical challenge to increase coordination and function. Such variations may improve executive function, which then increases adherence, causing a positive feedback loop sustaining participation in the exercise. While both modalities support neurological health, resistance training, when optimized through novel asymmetrical loading, emerges as a highly potent and accessible strategy for sustainable brain optimization.