▁significant ▁brain ▁structures ▁in ▁the ▁dop am ine ▁and ▁n ore pine phr ine ▁systems ▁that ▁give ▁rise ▁to ▁cogn itive ▁control . ▁Ex erc ise - indu ced ▁ne uro gen esis ▁( i . e ., ▁the ▁increases ▁in ▁gray ▁matter ▁volume ) ▁in ▁the ▁hi pp oc amp us ▁is ▁associated ▁with ▁meas urable ▁improvements ▁in ▁spatial ▁memory . ▁High er ▁physical ▁fit ness ▁scores , ▁as ▁measured ▁by ▁V O 2 ▁max , ▁are ▁associated ▁with ▁better ▁executive ▁function , ▁faster ▁information ▁processing ▁speed , ▁and ▁greater ▁gray ▁matter ▁volume ▁of ▁the ▁hi pp oc amp us , ▁ca ud ate ▁nucle us , ▁and ▁nucle us ▁acc umb ens . ▁Long - term ▁aer ob ic ▁exercise ▁is ▁also ▁associated ▁with ▁persistent ▁benef icial ▁ep igen etic ▁changes ▁that ▁result ▁in ▁improved ▁stress ▁cop ing , ▁improved ▁cogn itive ▁function , ▁and ▁increased ▁neur onal ▁activity ▁( ▁and ▁B D NF ▁signal ing ). ▁ ▁Struct ural ▁growth ▁ ▁Re views ▁of ▁ne uro im aging ▁studies ▁indicate ▁that ▁consistent ▁aer ob ic ▁exercise ▁increases ▁gray ▁matter ▁volume ▁in ▁nearly ▁all ▁regions ▁of ▁the ▁brain , ▁with ▁more ▁pron ounced ▁increases ▁occurr ing ▁in ▁brain ▁regions ▁associated ▁with ▁memory ▁processing , ▁cogn itive ▁control , ▁motor ▁function , ▁and ▁reward ; ▁the ▁most ▁prominent ▁g ains ▁in ▁gray ▁matter ▁volume ▁are ▁seen ▁in ▁the ▁pre front al ▁cor tex , ▁ca ud ate ▁nucle us , ▁and ▁hi pp oc amp us , ▁which ▁support ▁cogn itive ▁control