Brain Health and Exercise

Discover the brain benefits of exercise. Brain Health and Exercise is one of the first professional resources to integrate current neuroscience with practical approaches to dual-task training and exercise programming. Designed for fitness and health professionals, this guide outlines how exercise sessions can incorporate cognitive demands to target attention, memory, executive function, and processing speed. This book introduces the principles of brain health and the role of movement in cognition. Readers will explore the concept of dual-task training, which involves performing cognitive and physical tasks simultaneously, and how it can be used to challenge multiple domains of brain function. The scientific foundations of this approach are presented alongside real-world strategies to train both the brain and body. Featured are over 70 dual-tasking drills and exercises designed to do the following: Focus attention Involve executive function Challenge memory Target processing speed Each exercise includes step-by-step instructions, along with descriptions of the primary physical skill and cognitive domain it may target. In addition to drills, the guide outlines strategies to support the design of individualized programs. Chapters also explore how variables such as exercise type (aerobic, resistance, and neuromotor exercise), frequency, duration, and intensity may affect aspects of brain function and behavior in various ways. Brain Health and Exercise: A Professional's Guide to Dual-Tasking Techniques and Programming is designed to support professionals in creating movement-based programs that incorporate cognitive demands while promoting brain health goals that clients may have. This guide provides a foundation for promoting brain health through exercise and the integration of dual-task training techniques. Earn continuing education credits/units! A continuing education exam that uses this book is also available. It may be purchased separately or as part of a package that includes both the book and exam.