From THE WEEK February 18, 2011:

If you're 55 or older, put down your crossword puzzle and take a stroll. Scientists have found that moderate aerobic activity can improve seniors' memory by reversing the slow wasting away of a key part of the brain, which begins at around 50. "It used to be thought that aging was a one-way ï street that was going the wrong direction," University of Illinois professor Arthur Kramer tells Science News, but his recent study proves "that's not the case." Kramer and colleagues recruited 120 sedentary adults between the ages of 55 and 80. Half got their heart rates up by walking for 40 minutes, three times a week; the other half did stretching and weight exercises instead. After a year, scientists scanned each walker's brain and found that the hippocampus, where memories are formed, had grown by an average of 2 percent. By contrast, the stretchers' hippocampi had shrunk 1.4 percent, as expected. Though more study is needed, Kramer says initial results indicate that a brisk jaunt several times a week can roll back the pace of age-related memory loss "by about two years."


So, I'll keep walking! Not only is it good for this weird left leg thing, but goodness knows my hippocampus needs all the help it can get!


Also, note to self:

Nothing amazing at the gym. Push-ups, sit-ups, and core activation mostly. No rowing.