
Strength Training for Brain Health with Marian Barnick
From Happy & Healthy with Amy by Amy Lang
March 18, 2026 · 38 min · Season 2 · Episode 32
About this episode
Amy and Marian Barnick discuss the connection between leg strength and brain health, highlighting research on cognitive aging benefits.
An increase of just 40 watts of leg power is linked to cognitive aging benefits equivalent to a brain functioning three years younger. There's also a direct relationship between leg strength and the size of your hippocampus — the memory center of your brain, and one of the first regions affected by Alzheimer's. In the final episode of Move for Your Brain, Amy and Marian Barnick bring it all together: the research on leg strength and brain health, Marian's Foundations First framework applied s...
People in this episode
Host: Amy
Guest: Marian Barnick
Topics covered
- brain health
- strength training
- cognitive aging
- leg strength
- Alzheimer's
Keywords
- hippocampus
- Foundations First
- Move for Your Brain
Mentioned in this episode
Books & works: Move for Your Brain
More episodes of Happy & Healthy with Amy
- Alzheimer’s Risk in Women vs. Men: What’s Different · June 10, 2026 · 29 min
- Neuroinflammation and Brain Health: 8 Steps To Protect Your Brain in Midlife · June 3, 2026 · 26 min
- Alzheimer’s Drugs: Why Amyloid Removal May Not Be Enough · May 27, 2026 · 30 min
- How to Build an Alzheimer’s Care Team · May 20, 2026 · 31 min
- After an Alzheimer’s Diagnosis: A Family Checklist · May 13, 2026 · 34 min
- My Mom Was Diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Am I Next? · May 6, 2026 · 33 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Happy & Healthy with Amy podcast page.