Strength Training for Brain Health with Marian Barnick

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

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