After completing high school, she decided to earn her college degree from Harvard University. I worked hard at it, very hard, and as I got older, it became a little harder, and oh, it took a longtime, it took me 16 years. Mary Fasano, at the age of 89, became the oldest person ever to earn a degree from Harvard. Mental Function Challenging your mind and having a sense of control are only part of the story. Physical exercise plays a more important role in keeping the mind young than you might think.
Exercise can benefit more than the body and the muscle structure.
It can benefit the brain as well. BDNF can protect dendrites from retreating and even helps them grow back. Research in rats had already shown that exercise increases the blood supply to the rat's brain. The biggest surprise was that the increase was not just in the motor areas. Exercise also increased BDNF in areas involved in thinking and learning.