Researchers at the University of California, Irvine and Japan’s University of Tsukuba found that even very light workouts can increase the connectivity between parts of the brain responsible for memory formation and storage.

加州大学欧文分校和日本筑波大学的研究人员发现，即使是非常简单的锻炼，也能增加负责记忆形成和储存的大脑各部分之间的连通性。

Even short walking breaks throughout the day may have considerable effects on improving memory and cognition, says study co-leader Michael Yassa, UCI professor and Chancellors Fellow of neurobiology & behavior.

即使是在一天内短短休息型的步行一段时间，也可能对改善记忆力和认知能力产生相当大的影响，研究的联席负责人迈克尔·亚萨(Michael Yassa)说，他是加州大学欧文分校的教授，也是神经生物学与行为学的研究员。

In a study of 36 healthy young adults, the researchers discovered that a single 10-minute period of mild exertion can yield considerable cognitive benefits. Using high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging, the team examined subjects’ brains shortly after exercise sessions and saw better connectivity between the hippocampal dentate gyrus and cortical areas linked to detailed memory processing.

在针对36名健康年轻人的研究中，研究人员发现，一次10分钟的轻度运动就能产生相当大的认知效果。利用高分辨率的功能性磁共振成像，研究小组对刚锻炼完的受试者大脑进行检查，发现海马齿状回与详细记忆加工相关的大脑皮层区域间有更好的连通性。

“The hippocampus is critical for the creation of new memories; it’s one of the first regions of the brain to deteriorate as we get older – and much more severely in Alzheimer’s disease,” said Michael Yassa, “Improving the function of the hippocampus holds much promise for improving memory in everyday settings.”

“海马体是创造新记忆的关键；随着年龄的增长，它是第一批退化的大脑区域之一——这在阿尔茨海默病（Alzheimer’s disease）中显得更严重，”迈克尔·亚萨说，“改善海马体功能对改善日常生活中的记忆大有帮助。”

The neuroscientists found that the level of heightened connectivity predicted the degree of recall enhancement.

神经科学家发现，连通性的提高预示着记忆增强的程度。

Yassa said that while prior research has centered on the way exercise promotes the generation of new brain cells in memory regions, this new study demonstrates a more immediate impact: strengthened communication between memory-focused parts of the brain.

亚萨说尽管之前的研究集中在运动促进记忆区域新脑细胞生成的方式上，但这项新的研究显示了一种更直接的影响：加强大脑中有关记忆集中部分之间的沟通。

“We don’t discount the possibility that new cells are being born, but that’s a process that takes a bit longer to unfold,” he said. “What we observed is that these 10-minute periods of exercise showed results immediately afterward.”

“我们并不否认新细胞诞生的可能性，但这一过程需要更长的时间才能展开，”他说。“我们观察到的是，这10分钟的运动时间显示了随后直接的结果。”

A little bit of physical activity can go a long way, Yassa stressed.

亚萨强调说，一点点的体育锻炼就可以起到很大的作用。

“It’s encouraging to see more people keeping track of their exercise habits,” he said.

“看到越来越多的人跟随自己养成运动的习惯是令人鼓舞的，”他说。

Yassa and his colleagues at UCI and at the University of Tsukuba are extending this avenue of research by testing older adults who are at greater risk of age-related mental impairment and by conducting long-term interventions to see if regular, brief, light exercise done daily for several weeks or months can have a positive impact on the brain’s structure and function in these subjects.

亚萨及他在加州大学欧文分校和日本筑波大学的同事们正在扩展这一研究领域，通过测试那些随着年龄增大，其智力障碍风险更大的老年人，并进行长期干预，观察几周或几个月内每天进行定期、短暂、轻松的锻炼是否能对这些受试者的大脑结构和功能产生积极影响。

“Clearly, there is tremendous value to understanding the exercise prescription that best works in the elderly so that we can make recommendations for staving off cognitive decline,” he said.

他说：“很明显，了解对老年人最有效的运动方式是非常有价值的，这样我们就可以提出有关预防认知衰退的建议。”