Brain Health Challenge: Workouts may strengthen your brain.

Neurologists interviewed in the article say physical activity is the top behavior for brain health, and studies link regular exercise to better attention, memory and a lower long-term risk of dementia. The article asks participants to spend at least 20 minutes exercising and to choose activities they can do consistently.

Physical activity is presented as a central way to support brain health. Neurologists quoted in the article emphasized exercise as the top behavior for brain health. Research is reported to show short-term cognitive boosts after workouts and sustained benefits when people exercise consistently. The article describes biological mechanisms that may explain these effects. Key points: - Neurologists in the piece said exercise is the top behavior for brain health. - Studies are reported to link regular exercise with improved attention, memory and executive functioning, and with a lower long-term risk of dementia. - Researchers described exerkines, signaling molecules released during and after exercise that can reach the brain and may help form new connections, support repair and possibly foster new neurons. - Exercise is also reported to increase brain blood flow and to assist in removing proteins such as amyloid that are associated with Alzheimer's disease. - The article notes that the hippocampus — a region important for learning and memory — typically shrinks about 1 to 2 percent a year in older adults, and that physical activity may help offset some of that loss. Summary: The article frames regular physical activity as an evidence-backed contributor to cognitive function and to lower long-term dementia risk, describing both short-term and longer-term biological effects. For its Day 3 challenge, the piece asks participants to spend at least 20 minutes exercising and to pick activities they can do consistently. Undetermined at this time.