--- title: Running, Cardio in Your 20s Preserves Memory in Middle Age description: Cardio activities in your 20s may mean better memory in middle age, according to a new study published in the journal Neurology. Researchers studied the link between 2,747 healthy participants' mental and physical activity over the span of two decades canonical: https://time.com/46002/run-now-remember-more-later/ author: Alexandra Sifferlin article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-04-02T20:00:19.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-21T07:04:59.596Z article:section: Health og:title: Running, Cardio in Your 20s Preserves Memory in Middle Age og:description: Cardio activities in your 20s may mean better memory in middle age, according to a new study published in the journal Neurology. Researchers studied the link between 2,747 healthy participants' mental and physical activity over the span of two decades og:url: https://time.com/46002/run-now-remember-more-later/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt012bead15459f7c0/6986888e361760b5ab90b414/running-memory.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 675 og:image:alt: Running improves memory og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Running, Cardio in Your 20s Preserves Memory in Middle Age twitter:description: Cardio activities in your 20s may mean better memory in middle age, according to a new study published in the journal Neurology. Researchers studied the link between 2,747 healthy participants' mental and physical activity over the span of two decades twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt012bead15459f7c0/6986888e361760b5ab90b414/running-memory.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Run Now, Remember More Later by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Apr 2, 2014 8:00 PM UTC  A young girl running for exercise. A young girl running for exercise.Jordan Siemens—Getty Images by [Alexandra Sifferlin](https://time.com/author/alexandra-sifferlin/) ## Alexandra Sifferlin Apr 2, 2014 8:00 PM UTC It’s easy to put off the gym until tomorrow, but here’s a reason not to delay: cardio activities like running in young adulthood are linked to better memory and recall in middle age. Researchers studied 2,747 healthy participants, all around age 25\. For the first year of the study, published in the journal _Neurology,_ the participants were studied while walking or running on the treadmill until they were out of breath. On average, participants were able to stay on the treadmill for 10 minutes. Twenty years later, the participants underwent the treadmill tests once again, and their average time fell to 2.9 minutes. At 25 years after the first treadmill test, participants were then given cognitive tests that analyzed their verbal memory, executive function, and their brain’s relationship between thinking skills and physical movement (psychomotor speed). For every extra minute people completed on the first treadmill test, participants got 0.12 more words right in a word memory test. In a test for psychomotor speed, they were able to replace 0.92 more numbers with symbols, as the test directed. The participants who lost less time on the treadmill between year one and year 20 also performed better on executive function tests. Although the differences were modest, the researchers note that the memory-related tests used in the study have been shown to be accurate identifiers for dementia. In some of the tests, an additional word recalled is associated with a 18% lower risk of developing dementia in 10 years, according to the authors. So when it comes to exercising and preserving brain health, the saying “it’s never to late” might not apply, unfortunately. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/46002/run-now-remember-more-later/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/46002/run-now-remember-more-later/"},"headline":"Run Now, Remember More Later","datePublished":"2014-04-02T20:00:19.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-21T07:04:59.596Z","description":"Cardio activities in your 20s may mean better memory in middle age, according to a new study published in the journal Neurology. 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