In reading the newly e published article in the AJNR  “The Effect of Exercise on the Cerebral Vasculature of Healthy Aged Subjects as Visualized by MR Angiography” ( Posted on July 9th), there is positive feedback for those who exercise regularly.  But does good plumbing (i.e. the cerebral vasculature), equate with successful aging?   Since there have been suggestions that ongoing mental challenges such as solving math problems or completing Sudoku puzzles might be of significant benefit in combating age related mental decline, does anyone think that redirecting  a portion of a one hour of physical exercise to mental exercise might, in the long term, actually be more beneficial?

From an experimental standpoint it would have been of interest to devise an fMR paradigm in which this same group of people (high aerobic activity vs. low aerobic activity) were tested for cognition and memory.  Then we’d see the true value of aerobic activity over and above just the vascular status.

So here is an answer ———- rather than watching TV or listening to music while on a treadmill or on a elliptical trainer, one should simultaneously work on these puzzles.  Maybe someone with an entrepreneurial bend could  convince an exercise equipment company to install these mental exercises as a choice in channel selection on the TV attached to the treadmill.   Mental gymnastics mixed with aerobic exercise ——– it would  be a two for one.