As runners, we’re always thinking about heart health, joint longevity, and muscular endurance. But what about our brain? Recent research highlights a growing and overlooked concern: chronic stress could be quietly eroding our cognitive health and raising our risk of dementia, even decades before any symptoms arise.
New findings from Penn State researchers shed light on how chronic stress accelerates cognitive decline and why it matters more than ever for aging runners.
Understanding the connection between long-term stress and brain health can help athletes make smarter, science-backed choices to stay sharp and resilient well into their later years.
The Overlooked Link Between Stress and Cognitive Decline
A 2025 longitudinal study published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia revealed a jarring statistic: the average American has a 42% chance of developing dementia between ages 55 and 95. That risk climbs even higher for women, Black Americans, and those with genetic predispositions.
While common advice for preventing cognitive decline focuses on diet, exercise, and staying mentally active, researchers Jennifer Graham-Engeland and Martin Sliwinski at Penn State’s Center for Healthy Aging argue that one key factor is routinely ignored: chronic stress.
Unlike the acute stress you might feel on race day or during a tough workout, chronic stress is the ongoing, grinding pressure that builds up over weeks, months, or even years—whether from caregiving responsibilities, financial strain, loneliness, or burnout at work.
Over time, this stress changes the brain’s structure and function. High cortisol levels, for instance, can shrink the hippocampus (which controls memory), weaken the immune system, and accelerate inflammation—all of which are associated with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of cognitive decline.
And it’s not just about biology: stress also disrupts the habits that protect your brain, like sleep, physical activity, and healthy eating. It can lead to social withdrawal, reduce motivation, and make it harder to cope with life’s challenges.
“Stress doesn’t just make us feel worse—it shapes how well we age. It changes the brain, affects our behavior, and slowly chips away at the systems we rely on to stay healthy.”
-Jennifer Graham-Engeland, Center for Healthy Aging, Penn State University
For runners, who often juggle demanding training cycles with full-time jobs, family life, and personal goals, the risk of chronic stress is real—even if it’s not always obvious.
Even something as seemingly healthy as a rigorous race calendar can backfire if it’s layered on top of sleep debt, job stress, or emotional strain.
What Runners Can Do: Brain-Protective Strategies
You can’t eliminate stress, but you can change how you manage it. And that can make all the difference in aging well, both mentally and physically.
Here are science-backed ways runners can protect their cognitive health:
1. Prioritize Sleep Like a Training Run
Chronic sleep deprivation is linked with poorer memory, slower reaction times, and greater risk for dementia. Aim for 7–9 hours of sleep per night, and treat it as an essential part of your recovery routine, not an afterthought.
Tip: Use the hour before bed to unwind: stretch, dim the lights, avoid screens, and skip alcohol, which can interfere with REM sleep.
2. Run for Your Mind, Not Just Your Mileage
Running is a natural stress reliever, but only if you’re not constantly chasing splits or obsessing over metrics. Use easy runs for mental decompression. Try mindfulness on the move: notice your breathing, your surroundings, and your body’s rhythm.
3. Connect Through Movement
Social isolation is a major risk factor for cognitive decline. Regularly running with others, even once a week, can have protective effects on brain health. Not in a club? A quick text to a running buddy or chatting with someone at the track can still make a difference.
4. Embrace Micro-Destressing Habits
You don’t need a weekend retreat to lower your stress. A five-minute breathing session, stepping outside, or journaling for a few minutes each day can regulate your nervous system and reduce cumulative stress.
A study published in Frontiers of Psychology found that brief, consistent mindfulness practice reduced inflammation markers associated with brain aging.
5. Consider Your Environment
Where you run and live matters. Walkable neighborhoods, access to parks or trails, and community engagement opportunities, such as classes or events, can help reduce stress and support long-term brain health. When choosing a race or route, opt for those that provide a mental boost, not just a physical challenge.
There’s no cure for dementia, but the actions we take now, especially how we handle stress, can delay or even prevent its onset. For runners, that means thinking beyond VO₂ max and pace charts. Your brain deserves as much training, attention, and recovery as your body.
Cognitive decline isn’t inevitable. But it takes more than a clean diet and a good race season to keep your mind sharp. Reducing chronic stress may be one of the most powerful tools you have—and it starts with paying attention, not just to how far you’re running, but how you’re feeling as you do it.
