Now I’m not a lone wolf blogger braying or doing whatever wolves do in the wilderness.

For at least going on 10 years I’ve read and reported on news articles that link exercise to improved cognitive functioning as a person gets older.

Today the results of a study on schizophrenia and aerobic exercise prove that working out improves cognition in people who’ve had a first episode and are “treated” with exercise as well as computer training and medication shortly after their break.

The results are impressive. I’ve kept this incarnation of the blog going on two years now and loyal readers will be aware I’ve detailed my own experience with food and fitness.

Yes: I was a former “chubby.” My own mother uses the word “chubby” to describe how I used to be.

Luckily, I’ve always had a mind like a steel trap that was a few IQ points shy of qualifying for MENSA. I was lucky I didn’t have cognitive impairment after. Leading researchers have always thought that cognitive impairments not hallucinations are the true hallmark of schizophrenia.

Though not everyone with schizophrenia has cognitive decline the ones that do have it often have a greater hard time with getting and keeping a job, and forming and maintaining friendships and other relationships.

That’s no way to live. I do recommend aerobic exercise like Zumba or taking a spinning class. More than this I recommend lifting weights. I’ve started my sixth year of strength training and it works like a charm. The longer you train you keep seeing better and better fitness and your body continues to improve.

For long-term weight maintenance I recommend strength training by lifting weights. I’m also a believer in lifting weights to improve your mood and condition your mind.

You’ll keep fit by “lifting” and you’ll have a fit mind as well as a strong body.

Imagine: we can halt disability by using aerobic exercise to improve cognition in people with schizophrenia so that they can resume a normal life.

Read about the schizophrenia and aerobic exercise study.