The surprising link between leg workouts and brain health as you age, as explained by fitness coach

They say “skip leg day, lose your mind”—and now science is catching up to the gym-bro slogan. As we age, maintaining leg strength does a lot more than keep us mobile and balanced. It turns out strong legs help preserve brain power.Fitness coach Dan Go often emphasizes that when aging, one of the most crucial muscles isn’t just your biceps or abs—it’s what lies in your legs. Leg muscles are among the biggest in the body, and training them yields benefits not just for movement, but for memory, thinking, and overall brain health.He backed his arguments by referring to a landmark study from King’s College London called “Leg Power Predicts Cognitive Ageing after Ten Years in Older Female Twins”.

In the study, the researchers tracked 324 women twins (ages ~ 43-73, average ~55) over a decade. They measured leg power at baseline, then tested cognition initially and again 10 years later. A subset of identical (monozygotic) twins also had brain imaging.What they found: those with more powerful legs at the start had less decline in thinking skills over 10 years, more grey matter, smaller ventricular enlargement (a sign of brain aging), even after controlling for genetic factors, diet, blood pressure, sugar control, etc.

Why would legs matter so much?

Scientists suggest several mechanisms. The leg muscles are the largest in the body, and working them regularly improves blood flow, boosts insulin sensitivity, and enhances mitochondrial function. These changes ripple through the entire system, supporting the brain’s energy demands.Further, contracting muscles also release molecules called myokines, which act like hormones and have protective effects on brain cells.

In addition, regular lower-body training improves balance and mobility, keeping older adults active and socially engaged—two factors closely linked with cognitive resilience.

How to build stronger legs?

Professionals recommend focusing on compound movements that engage multiple muscle groups and build power: squats, lunges, step-ups, hip thrusts, even deadlifts where appropriate. Weight training has already been shown to increase hippocampal volume, the part of the brain essential for memory. When applied to the lower body, these exercises may be especially potent in guarding against cognitive decline.