CrossFit and the aging brain

As I get older, I've noticed that my brain isn't as sharp as it used to be. I sometimes struggle to find the right word--even though it's on the tip of my tongue, I don't remember names very well, and I'll walk into a room for a specific purpose and then wonder why I'm there, lol. I had one incident in particular that really scared me. I was in line in the post office (this was quite a few years ago) to get a passport application and I was almost up to the counter when all of the sudden I couldn't remember the name of what I was there for. I knew what I wanted, I just couldn't remember how to say it. I actually had to step out of line and collect myself (I was really freaking out) before I remembered how to ask for what I wanted. I left there thinking I had the beginnings of Alzheimer's. It was not a good feeling. It wasn't Alzheimer's, but it made me realize that I need to excercise my brain as well as my body, so I began to do more crossword puzzles and downloaded some memory game apps to play in my spare time.

When I started CrossFit, I wanted to get my body in better shape, but what I didn't realize was that it was helping my mind too. The weightlifting, while not complex, requires a lot of muscle memory and for me, a lot of thinking. My neighbor and I used to joke about how we couldn't remember how to do which lift. They all seemed to run together and we would have to ask the coach to show us how every single time.

Our good coach always took us through the movements each time, knowing that it takes months and sometimes years to master them; it didn't take me long to realize that while I was obviously excercising physically, that I was also excercising mentally.
There have been some recent studies that have shown a correlation between weight lifting at least twice a week and improved brain function. Apparently as we age, we develop lesions in the white matter (which connects different parts of the brain) in our brain, and these lesions grow larger and more numerous as we age. Because of this, our brain function decreases, affecting our cognitive ability and also physical ability. These studies are showing that weight lifting eliminates some of these lesions, increasing brain health which should increase cognitive health and therefore physical health too. I am no scientist, but I believe that the amount of thought and coordination and muscle memory required in oly lifts also help to improve brain function. It is pretty amazing to think about. Not only does weight lifting have physical benefits, it also has mental benefits. Weight lifting--Is there anything it can't do?