A woman lies on her back with her legs over her head.

New clues are revealing why exercise can keep the brain healthy

Scientists are learning how muscles in motion can improve cognition and shield against diseases like Alzheimer's, paving the way for new treatments.

An 83-year-old woman practices yoga. “The body of a 20-year-old is inherently different from the body of a 70-year-old. And somehow, something about exercise can cause a benefit in all these contexts,” says Saul Villeda, a neuroscientist at the University of California, San Francisco.
Photograph by Fritz Hoffman, Nat Geo Image Collection
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