Exercise and Cognitive Health Across the Lifespan: What an Umbrella Review of Randomized Trials Found

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants who work with children, adults or older adults and field questions about whether exercise helps thinking and memory.

Physical therapists and physical therapist assistants in outpatient, neurologic, geriatric, pediatric, school-based, home health and wellness settings. The material is also relevant to rehabilitation students and to clinicians who counsel patients and families about physical activity and brain health.

Intended audience

Physical Therapy

Level

Introductory

Delivery format

Online, asynchronous, self-paced course: interactive reading with audio or video, and a scored post-test.

Based on

This course is based on a single peer-reviewed source, and every finding described here traces back to it.

Singh B, Bennett H, Miatke A, Dumuid D, Curtis R, Ferguson T, Brinsley J, Szeto K, Petersen JM, Gough C, Eglitis E, Simpson CE, Ekegren CL, Smith AE, Erickson KI, Maher C. Effectiveness of exercise for improving cognition, memory and executive function: a systematic umbrella review and meta-meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2025;59(12):866–876. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2024-108589. PMID: 40049759. PMCID: PMC12229068.

The review was registered in advance (PROSPERO CRD42023468991) and reported according to PRISMA guidelines.

After completing this course, you will be able to:

1. Describe what the umbrella review examined, which populations and age groups were represented, and what the authors concluded about exercise and cognitive health.
2. Name the three cognitive outcomes that improved with exercise and state which groups and which exercise modes showed the largest improvements.
3. Explain what the review reported about exercise intensity, session frequency and duration, and identify the main limitations the authors acknowledged.

1. Start Here: How This Course Works
2. Podcast: Exercise and the Thinking Brain (about nine minutes)
3. What the Review Asked and Who Was Included
4. How the Evidence Was Gathered and Graded
5. What Exercise Did for Cognition, Memory and Executive Function
6. Which Groups, Modes and Doses Stood Out
7. Limits of the Evidence and What It Could Mean in Practice
8. Key Takeaways
9. Post-Test and Course Evaluation

Quinn Millington, PT, DPT, ECS is the instructor of record: the licensed clinician who reviewed this course and signed off on it. The name and credentials print on the certificate.

Disclosures. This course was developed by The ConEd Solution, which has a financial interest in its sale. No outside funding or sponsorship was received. The instructor of record has no affiliation with the authors of the source publication or their institutions.

This course awards 0.5 contact hours (30 min). How you earn them:

1. Complete the course. Every lesson, in order.
2. Pass the post-test. Score 80% or higher. Retakes are allowed.
3. Complete the evaluation. A short form rating each learning objective and the course.
4. Download your certificate. It is issued on completion and stays available in My Account.

The episode time is its measured length. Reading, post-test and evaluation times are estimates.

This course is designed to satisfy the quality requirements state boards set for continuing education. Requirements vary by state, and confirming that a course fits your renewal is up to you. Each state’s own acceptance statement is in the credit panel on this page.

1. This course is based on a single peer-reviewed source, and every finding described here traces back to it.
2. Singh B, Bennett H, Miatke A, Dumuid D, Curtis R, Ferguson T, Brinsley J, Szeto K, Petersen JM, Gough C, Eglitis E, Simpson CE, Ekegren CL, Smith AE, Erickson KI, Maher C. Effectiveness of exercise for improving cognition, memory and executive function: a systematic umbrella review and meta-meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2025;59(12):866–876. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2024-108589. PMID: 40049759. PMCID: PMC12229068.
3. The review was registered in advance (PROSPERO CRD42023468991) and reported according to PRISMA guidelines.