Research

Mixed

One year of aerobic exercise training increases functional connectivity in the Default Mode Network and Frontal Executive Network in older adults, an effect not observed at 6 months.

To improve brain network efficiency in older age, commit to a 12-month aerobic walking program. Start with 10 minutes and build up to 40 minutes, 3 times a week. Keep your heart rate at 60-75% of your maximum reserve. The benefits on brain connectivity appear after a full year, so consistency is critical.

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Results showed that aerobic training improved the aging brain’s resting functional efficiency in higher-level cognitive networks. One year of walking increased functional connectivity between aspects of the frontal, posterior, and temporal cortices within the Default Mode Network and a Frontal Executive Network... Effects in favor of the walking group were observed only after 12 months of training, compared to non-significant trends after 6 months.
Voss Voss · Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience · 2010

Why this rating

Randomized controlled trial with fMRI measures, though sample size is moderate and specific effect sizes for connectivity are not provided in the text.

Source

Plasticity of brain networks in a randomized intervention trial of exercise training in older adults

Voss Voss · Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience · 2010

DOI 10.3389/fnagi.2010.00032

rct · n=65Cited 834×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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