Exercise for Brain Health in the Fight Against Alzheimer's Disease

The investigators aim to compare the effects of a 6‐month moderate intensity exercise training (ET) intervention to a low intensity flexibility exercise control condition (FC) on brain function, cognition, and physical function in cognitively healthy and physically inactive older adults (ages 60‐80). Apolipoprotein E epsilon4 (APOE‐ε4) allele carriers are known to be at substantially greater risk for cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease (AD). Cognitively intact APOE‐ε4 allele carriers, and non‐carriers, will be randomly assigned to 6‐months of either supervised moderate intensity aerobic exercise training (ET) or supervised flexibility exercise control (FC). The ET and FC each contain a group based exercise component and are run in local retirement communities near College Park, MD, or on the University of Maryland College Park campus. The primary aims of the study are to compare pre‐intervention to post‐intervention changes in episodic memory performance and MRI biomarkers.