Rutgers Researchers Find Aerobic Exercise Significantly Improves Executive Functions in Post-Menopausal Women
Rutgers researchers have discovered that regular aerobic exercise can significantly enhance executive functions, which are critical thinking skills like planning, task-switching, and focus. This benefit appears particularly strong for women after menopause. The study, published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease and led by Sharon Sanz Simon, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, involved 93 healthy women aged 20 to 67, with 43% being post-menopausal. Participants, all starting with below-average cardiorespiratory fitness, were assigned to either a six-month aerobic exercise program or a stretching-and-toning program. Post-menopausal women in the aerobic group showed greater improvements in executive function, measured by task-switching speed and error management, compared to the stretching group and even pre-menopausal women in the same aerobic program. Measurable cognitive gains were observed at three months and strengthened over the six-month trial. 
