A single bout of light-to-moderate aerobic exercise can have an immediate effect on cognitive function and working memory in older adults, report University of Iowa researchers.

The study subjects, all 60-to-90-year-old adults who were not physically active, saw an uptick in brain connectivity and working memory after the single exercise round – though the effects did not last long. Notably, the cognitive effects were the same after they participated in a 12-week aerobics program.

The findings suggest that a day-by-day approach to exercise for cognitive health may be useful and realistic for seniors over the long term, said corresponding author Michelle Voss, Ph.D. She expressed hope that people will be inspired to stay active, however, as the effects on cognitive function, while immediate, are temporary.

“[Y]ou don’t need to think of it like you’re going to train for a marathon to get some sort of optimal peak of performance. You just could work at it day by day to gain those benefits,” said Voss in a statement.

Participants received brain scans and a working memory test before and after the exercise programs to measure brain changes. Voss and colleagues are planning a larger, five-year experiment to confirm their initial findings and to learn more about how exercise may alter older adult brains. 

The study was published in the August issue of the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise.