Exercise is being increasingly recognized as important for nearly every aspect of health, including brain function. And while it may not be obvious that working your legs could influence your mind, experts say lower-body exercise can have meaningful benefits for various aspects of cognitive functioning and mental health. Here are four of them.
Any form of exercise can boost blood flow to the brain, said Alan Beyer, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and medical director at Hoag Orthopedic Institute in California. But lower-body movements may increase circulation even more, added Andrew Carbone, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist at Orlando Health. Because the muscles in your legs are among the largest in the body, they require more oxygen and nutrients—prompting your heart to pump more blood overall.
Greater blood and oxygen delivery to the brain is linked to improved focus and mental clarity, both inside and outside of the gym. Resistance training, in particular, has been associated with improved attention span and better executive function—the brain’s “management system” responsible for planning, organizing, and regulating emotions.
To reap those benefits, Carbone recommended exercises such as bodyweight or weighted squats, deadlifts, lunges, step-ups, and sled pushes or drags. If sharper focus is your goal, aim for two to three lower-body sessions per week.
Heavy leg exercises may increase production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports the growth and maintenance of nerves in the brain, Carbone said. This process, called neurogenesis, may improve learning and memory and potentially protect against age-related cognitive decline.
In fact, one study found that leg power was a significant predictor of cognitive aging over a 10-year period. The findings suggest that stronger lower-body strength could play a protective role in long-term brain health.
The brain, nerves, and muscles all work together to help you stand, balance, and perform basic motor skills like bending down, reaching for objects, and climbing the stairs.
Leg training that requires coordination and balance can help your brain, said Carbone. Specifically, exercises that require you to stand on one leg (like split squats), control your tempo (like slow reps), and follow complex patterns (like lunges with rotation) can improve something called proprioception—your body’s innate sense of positioning in space, Carbone added.
Research supports the idea that regular exercise can improve mental health and well-being—including leg training, Carbone said.
Exercise helps to regulate stress by lowering baseline levels of cortisol (aka the stress hormone), he added.
One study found that resistance training reduced anxiety symptoms in healthy and chronically ill adults. Another linked moderate-intensity strength training, in particular, with the greatest anxiety-relieving effect for young adults.
Still, Beyer emphasized that you don’t need to overthink the type of exercise for mental health benefits. “Just move your body as you age and keep it moving,” he said.
