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A recent study found that aerobic exercise positively affects cognitive areas of the brain as well as motor function.
Cardiovascular exercise is linked to brain health, especially regarding gray matter and total brain volume. These areas of the brain are involved in cognitive decline and aging.
The conclusion of the study stated:
The results of this study support the hypothesis that higher cardiorespiratory function is associated with larger brain volumes in several brain regions that are not primarily connected to motor-related functions. Older people seem to have a stronger benefit in the memory-sensitive hippocampal region (of the brain) by higher cardiorespiratory function.
Read the study here: Cardiorespiratory Fitness and Gray Matter Volume in the Temporal, Frontal, and Cerebellar Regions in the General Population