Anti-fatigue effect: How exercise helps ageing adults fight mental fatigue

You may sometimes feel a little tired in the head, like when you've been thinking too hard for too long. For older adults, this kind of mental fatigue can make physical tasks feel harder. To beat mental fatigue a new research reveals that staying active can help older people bounce back faster and stay sharper, even when their minds feel worn out. The recent study from the University of Birmingham and the University of Extremadura has found that retired people who exercise regularly are better at coping with mental fatigue.

Here's what the study discovered, and how older adults can use it in everyday life:

• Mental tiredness hits harder as we age: The researchers found that ageing makes it harder to perform well when we're mentally fatigued. Even simple physical tasks can feel tougher when your brain is tired, especially for people who are inactive.

• Regular exercise helps build mental resilience: The study showed that people who exercise regularly handle mental fatigue much better than those who don’t. Staying active seems to protect both your body and your brain as you age.

• Warming up your brain and body works wonders: Professor Ring, one of the lead researchers, says a good warm-up isn’t just physical. “Use a mix of light exercise and brain games,” he suggests. Try something simple like a short walk while solving a puzzle or talking through your to-do list. This combo can boost your performance even when you're mentally drained.

• Train your brain and body together: A method called Brain Endurance Training (BET) combines thinking tasks with physical movement, like walking while doing simple math or following patterns. According to the researchers, this kind of training improves how well you perform when you're tired and helps keep your brain sharper for longer.

• You’re never too old to start moving: Practice gardening, walking, swimming, or join a dance class. Any form of regular movement can help. The more active you are, the better your body and brain will work together, especially on those days when you're feeling mentally worn out.