Memory.
In this study, adults ages 50-85 years old (both with and without memory issues) looked at pictures of pleasant things. Afterwards, half rode a stationary bicycle for 6 minutes at 70% of their maximum capacity. An hour later, everyone took a surprise recall test on the images they viewed earlier. Outcomes revealed those adults in the group that rode the bike for 6 minutes were better able to remember the pictures they’d seen than the adults who did not, regardless if they suffered from memory issues.
UC Irvine, December 2012