Exercise has been shown to improve both mood and memory. Building an active lifestyle can lead to meaningful gains in how well you retain what you study.
Exercise changes how your brain learns, stores, and recalls information.
Exercise & The Brain (In Simple Terms)
At a biological level, exercise helps promote neuroplasticity your brain’s ability to form and strengthen connections.
It impacts key regions:
- Hippocampus → memory formation
- Prefrontal cortex → focus and attention
Across studies, exercise:
- increases brain growth factors (like BDNF)
- improves blood flow to the brain
- reduces stress (which blocks memory)
Exercise allows you to learn faster, remember more, and recall better.
Different Types of Exercise = Different Brain Benefits
Different exercises can have different benefits across the brain.
1. Cardio → Best for Learning New Material
Running, cycling, swimming
- Strongest evidence for improving memory
- Linked to growth in the hippocampus
- Improves long-term retention
Best used when you’re trying to learn new material
One year of regular walking increased anterior hippocampal volume by approximately 2%.[1]
2. Weight Training → Best for Focus
Resistance training, gym work
- Improves attention and mental control
- Supports working memory and concentration
- Helps you stay locked in while studying
Best used when you need deep, distraction-free study
Resistance training: In a six-month randomized trial, older women with probable mild cognitive impairment who completed resistance training twice a week improved their associative memory—the ability to remember connections between related items—compared with those doing balance-and-toning exercise.[2]
3. Yoga / Stretching → Best for Recall
Low-intensity, controlled movement
- Reduces stress (cortisol)
- Improves clarity and calm
- Helps you access what you already know
Best used before exams, tests, or high-pressure recall
Yoga: In an eight-week randomized trial, sedentary older adults who practised Hatha yoga for one hour three times a week improved their working-memory accuracy and mental flexibility more than those completing stretching-and-strengthening exercises.[3]
4. Sports / Coordinative Exercise → Best for Brain Integration
Football, tennis, martial arts, Tai Chi
- Engages multiple brain systems at once
- Improves coordination, reaction, and processing
- Strengthens overall learning efficiency
Best for overall cognitive performance
Dance and coordinative exercise: In a three-month randomized trial, 35 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic dance three times a week improved episodic memory and increased right and total hippocampal volume in older adults with amnestic mild cognitive impairment, compared with health education alone.[4]
How Much to See Benefits
Research consistently shows benefits with:
- ~30–45 mins cardio, 3–4x/week
- 2–3 resistance sessions/week
- 2–3 sessions of stretching or coordination work
Even one session (20–30 mins) can improve focus and memory that same day.
Putting It Together
If your goal is to remember more:
- Cardio builds memory
- Weights sharpen focus
- Yoga improves recall
- Sports improve overall brain performance
No single exercise type has been proven best for memory. The most useful approach is one that can be performed safely and consistently.
Of course combining with other life factors helps, we would recommend the following articles.
10 Ways to Optimise Sleep for Better Memory | NeuroLifts
What to Eat for Better Memory: A Simple Nutrition Guide for Learning | NeuroLifts
Mindfulness for Memory: How Being Present Helps You Remember More | NeuroLifts
Does Dual N-Back Work? Benefits and Evidence from 80 Papers | NeuroLifts
References
Most of the studies cited here involved older adults, and some included people with mild cognitive impairment. Their results may not apply equally to younger, healthy adults.
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Erickson KI, Voss MW, Prakash RS, Basak C, Szabo A, Chaddock L, et al. Exercise training increases size of hippocampus and improves memory. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 2011;108(7):3017–3022. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1015950108.
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Nagamatsu LS, Handy TC, Hsu CL, Voss M, Liu-Ambrose T. Resistance training promotes cognitive and functional brain plasticity in seniors with probable mild cognitive impairment: a 6-month randomized controlled trial. Archives of Internal Medicine. 2012;172(8):666–668. doi: 10.1001/archinternmed.2012.379.
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Gothe NP, Kramer AF, McAuley E. The effects of an 8-week Hatha yoga intervention on executive function in older adults. The Journals of Gerontology: Series A, Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences. 2014;69(9):1109–1116. doi: 10.1093/gerona/glu095.
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Zhu Y, Gao Y, Guo C, Qi M, Xiao M, Wu H, et al. Effect of 3-month aerobic dance on hippocampal volume and cognition in elderly people with amnestic mild cognitive impairment: a randomized controlled trial. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience. 2022;14:771413. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.771413.