The benefits of physical activity in the cognitive function of the elderly

Abstract

The practice of physical activity is known to promote several benefits, such as improvement in the cardiorespiratory system and reduction of the risk of chronic-degenerative diseases, mainly among the elderly population. Recently another aspect has gained notoriety: the improvement in cognitive function. Different studies have suggested that physical exercise protects and improves brain function, pointing out that physically active elderly people minimize the risks of being affected by mental disorders compared to the sedentary ones. This corroborates the thesis that participation in physical exercise programs promotes psychological and physical benefits. In this way, the use of physical exercise as a mechanism to improve cognitive function seems to be an important resource to be used. Thus, the purpose of the present review is to discuss the association between physical exercise and cognitive function in the elderly population, in order to demonstrate that cerebral aging is an inevitable, but a postponed process, with the aid of the implementation of healthy life styles.