A new study has shown that exercise changes the brains and sperm of male animals that can later impact the brains and thinking skills of their offspring.

The findings show that the brain boosting benefits of physical activity can be passed along to children from their fathers, even if the father does not start exercising until adulthood.

Studies have indicated that exercise can alter how genes work, this process is known as epigenetics.

“My personal opinion is that exercise is probably much more important” than mental stimulation for altering brains and gene expression and potentially even the aptitudes of one’s offspring, Dr. Fischer says."

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