You lift weights to tone your muscles and to keep your bones strong, but did you know that weight training also has the benefit of preserving brain function and preventing deterioration often associated with age? A study done by Teresa Liu-Ambrose et al. (2010), 
looked at resistance training exercise in women between the age of 65 and 75 and determined through this study that strength training not only helped develop and maintain muscle strength, it provided the added bonus of helping these women with attention and conflict resolution functioning. Executive brain functioning helps you make decisions, resolve conflicts, prioritize, organize your lives and it also inhibits impulsive behavior. The area of the brain responsible for these functions is the frontal lobes of the brain. With aging and certain illnesses, frontal lobe functioning may be impaired. Resistance training can help resume optimal executive functioning. So the next time you pick up a weight, or apply some stretch to that resistance band, think brain-power strengthening as well. Nice to know about that added cognitive bonus.
