Exercise After Stroke Could Help Improve Memory: Study

Here's even more evidence that physical fitness can help your brain: Canadian researchers have found that stroke survivors experience better memory, thinking and language skills with six months of exercise.

The study, presented at a meeting of the Canadian Stroke Congress, showed that mild cognitive impairment among people who had suffered a stroke decreased to 37 percent from 66 percent after they participated in a six-month exercise program that included both aerobic exercise and strength training.

"If we can improve cognition through exercise, which also has many physical benefits, then this should become a standard of care for people following stroke," study researcher Susan Marzolini, of the Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, said in a statement.

The study included 41 people who had suffered a stroke. Seventy percent of the participants needed to use a cane or walker because of walking problems.

The participants completed exercise as part of the program for five days a week for six months. Researchers found that by the end of the study, not only did the participants experience brain benefits, but their physical fitness -- in the form of strength and ability to walk -- had also improved.

For more ways exercise can help your noggin, click through the slideshow: