Exercise as medicine for the brain: moving towards precise and personalised recommendations
Exercise promotes brain health. Human and animal studies have demonstrated acute and chronic effects of exercise on brain and cognitive function.1–3 Exercise is not a magic bullet solution to every brain and health condition, but it is one of the most promising and scalable approaches to improve and maintain brain health throughout the lifespan. The purpose of this editorial is to highlight research needs in the field of exercise neuroscience with the aim to clarify the individual variability in response to exercise and to improve precision in using exercise as medicine for brain health. The benefit of exercise interventions on brain health is evident for different age groups and populations.3 For childhood and adolescence, exercise in school settings is critical given its broad access to the population and its potential to promote healthy brain development and enhance academic achievement.4 In adulthood, few studies show benefits in the maintenance or improvement of cognitive function