Running Jogs Memory

Running boosts memory, a new study shows. Although the link between exercise and healthy brains is old news, new research shows the mechanism behind the effect: Hitting the road a couple times a week causes hundreds of thousands of new cells to form in a part of the brain associated with memory. This, in turn, improves your ability to recall memories without confusing them. The research, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could help find new ways to slow mental deterioration.

The study followed two groups of mice. One groups used a running wheel, the other did not. The running mice scored nearly twice as high as the control group on memory tests, the Guardian reports.

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