Regular Weight Training May Slow Brain Ageing, Study Finds - Video

Lifting weights may do more than strengthen muscles-it could also help keep the brain younger and sharper with age.

Resistance exercise, also known as strength or weight training, involves working muscles against a force so they contract more powerfully than usual. This can include free weights, resistance bands, bodyweight movements, or even lifting heavy household objects. Exercises such as squats, lunges, push-ups, deadlifts and presses build muscle tone and bone density, but research increasingly suggests they also benefit mood, circulation and cognitive function.

According to a review in European Medical Journal Reviews summarising a 2026 randomised controlled trial published in GeroScience, older adults who engaged in regular moderate to heavy resistance training showed signs of slower brain ageing. Using neuroimaging-based “brain-age” markers, researchers found participants’ brains appeared up to 2.3 years younger compared to those who did not exercise.

Importantly, the benefits were not limited to a single brain region. Strength training was linked to improved connectivity across multiple neural networks, particularly those involved in attention and executive function — key abilities for planning, focus and decision-making. Rather than producing narrow effects, resistance exercise appeared to influence distributed brain systems, suggesting a broader, whole-brain impact.

Participants who completed moderate or heavy training sessions demonstrated brains that looked 1.4 to 2.3 years younger on biological brain-age assessments. These improvements were observed even in healthy adults without signs of cognitive impairment, indicating that resistance training may serve as a preventive strategy rather than simply a therapeutic one.

The findings reinforce the idea that strength training can be part of long-term brain health planning. While traditionally associated with physical fitness, resistance exercise may also help preserve mental agility. By challenging muscles regularly, adults may simultaneously engage neural systems that support attention, coordination and cognitive resilience — offering a promising, non-drug approach to healthy brain ageing.

REFERENCE: Gonzalez-Gomez R et al. Randomized controlled trial of resistance exercise and brain aging clocks. Geroscience. 2026;doi:10.1007/s11357-026-02141-x.