Susan is a 71-year-old retired teacher who walks every morning, eats a healthy diet and is socially active. Lately, she’s noticed some unsettling changes. She forgets names more often, loses her train of thought mid-sentence, and misplaces her keys most days. She laughs it off as “just part of getting older,” but the truth is that she’s very worried. What if it’s something more? What if these are early signs of dementia?

Memory decline as we age is one of the most common fears among men and women. It’s about more than simply forgetting things. The deeper fear is of losing independence, confidence, and connection to the people and life we care about. The fear, really, is of losing ourselves. It might surprise you to learn that one of the best tools we have to support memory and cognition as we age actually has nothing to do with the brain itself.

When most people think about protecting their memory, they think about staying mentally active such as with reading or doing crossword puzzles. These things can certainly help, but they’re only part of the solution. One of the most important factors for long-term brain health is something much more physical: muscle.

As we get older, we naturally lose muscle. Starting in our 30s, we lose about 3-8% of our muscle each decade – and that rate increases in our 60s.^1,2 This is guaranteed to happen unless we take intentional steps to preserve it.

Muscle loss affects much more than our strength, balance and coordination. It affects how our bodies function down to the cellular level. When muscle mass decreases, we experience worse blood sugar control,^3,4 more inflammation in the body,^5-7 and a slower and less efficient metabolism.^8,9 These changes directly impact our brain health. Over time, poor blood sugar control and higher inflammation lead to problems with memory, thinking and an increased risk of dementia. In fact, some researchers now refer to Alzheimer’s disease as “type 3 diabetes,” highlighting the role of insulin resistance and impaired glucose metabolism in the brain.

When you challenge your muscles through strength training, they send signals throughout your body, including to your brain. These signals help increase blood flow to the brain, support brain cell health and help your brain grow and maintain healthy connections over time. Put simply, when you build and use muscle, you are directly improving your brain health and function.

How can you start incorporating strength training into your routine?

Strength training does not have to be complicated or time-consuming. It can include lifting weights, using resistance bands or simple bodyweight movements like squats, push-ups and step-ups. Even in people with osteoarthritis or other joint pain, appropriately modified strength training is not only safe but beneficial, as long as the movements are adjusted for comfort, stability and joint tolerance. The key is to challenge your muscles consistently and progressively, increasing the difficulty whenever you can. For most people, two to three sessions per week is enough to start seeing meaningful benefits.

Nutrition also plays an important role. Protein provides the building blocks your body needs to build and maintain muscle. Without enough protein, your body can’t respond as well to strength training, and your results will be limited.

Many people assume that muscle loss and memory decline are simply part of aging. They are unfortunately common, but they’re not inevitable. You have much more control than you may think. The way you move, exercise and fuel your body has a direct impact on how your brain functions over time. If your goal is to stay sharp, independent and capable as you get older, building and maintaining muscle is one of the most effective strategies you have.

How is Susan doing now?

Susan came across an article about the relationship between strength training and brain health and decided to give it a try. She started with two short sessions per week. Within a few months, she noticed that she felt sharper, more focused and less forgetful. She also felt stronger, more stable on her feet, and enjoyed better sleep, mood and confidence. Perhaps most importantly, she felt more in control of her future.

Dr. Rachel Felber is a local physician and founder of Health Yourself, providing one-on-one health and strength coaching and consulting services to women of all ages. For more information, visit www.rachelfelber.com

References: 1) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2804956/; 2) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3276215/; 3) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21778224/; 4) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8074531; 5) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11496437/; 6) https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11506288/; 7) https://journals.biologists.com/jeb/article/214/2/337/10453/Muscles-and-their-myokines; 8) https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/13/19/5862; 9) https://www.e-dmj.org/journal/view.php?doi=10.4093/dmj.2017.41.5.327