Sport-Haters, This One Is for You: Your Brain Might Need Exercise More Than You Think

I am going to start with a confession: I don't particularly like exercise.

I know it is good for me. I know I feel better afterwards. And I also know that, if I am being completely honest, I have run out of arguments for why I should avoid it.

A recent paper has given me yet another reason to get moving — and this time it involves the brain.

Researchers from Victoria University have been looking at something called the glymphatic system, a network in the brain that is thought to help clear away waste products that build up during normal brain activity. Their review, published in Trends in Neurosciences, looked at research in both humans and animals to explore whether exercise might influence this process.

The idea is quite fascinating: exercise may help the brain take out the trash.

So what exactly is the brain cleaning up?

Our brains are incredibly active organs. As they work throughout the day, metabolic waste products accumulate. The glymphatic system is thought to help clear some of this waste, with the process being particularly active during sleep.

This is one reason sleep is so important for brain health.

What the Victoria University researchers are proposing is that exercise may support some of the processes involved in this waste-clearance system. Exercise is associated with healthier blood vessels, lower inflammation and better sleep, all of which may influence glymphatic function. There is also evidence that exercise can increase slow-wave sleep, the deep stage of sleep that appears to be particularly important for brain waste clearance.

It is important to say that this is still an emerging area of research. The researchers themselves point out that we don't yet know exactly how much exercise is needed, which types are most effective, or how directly these changes translate into protection against cognitive decline in humans.

So this is not a case of exercise prevents Alzheimer's. It is more interesting than that: scientists are beginning to understand some of the biological pathways that might help explain why physical activity appears to be so beneficial for brain health.

Why does this matter for international families?

There is a broader point here that I think is particularly relevant to families living internationally.

Many international-school children have very full lives. They may be learning in a language that isn't their first language, moving between different educational systems, maintaining friendships across countries, adapting to new environments and dealing with the normal academic and social pressures of growing up.

For some families, there are also frequent moves, changing schools, long-distance relationships with family members and the emotional work that comes with living away from a familiar support network.

And then there is school.

By the time children get home, there may be homework, tutoring, music lessons, sports, screens, social media and dinner — and suddenly it is bedtime.

Exercise can easily become the thing that gets squeezed out.

But perhaps we should think about movement slightly differently. It doesn't have to be another achievement, another organised activity or another thing for parents to manage. It can simply be part of how we help children — and ourselves — regulate, sleep and recover.

For a child who has spent six or seven hours concentrating at school, moving their body after school may be just as valuable as immediately sitting down to do another hour of homework.

And yes, I know some of you hate exercise too

This is where my own experience comes in.

I am not writing this as someone who loves exercise and wants to convince everyone else to become a fitness fanatic.

Quite the opposite.

I often have to remind myself that I don't need to enjoy exercise in order for it to be worthwhile.

And the research keeps giving me more reasons.

It isn't just about weight or fitness. Physical activity is linked to cardiovascular health, sleep, mood and stress regulation. This new research adds another possible piece to the puzzle: the way exercise might support the brain's own waste-clearance system.

At some point, you have to admit that the evidence is making a fairly compelling case.

So, if you are also a sport-hater, perhaps the goal isn't to suddenly become someone who loves going to the gym.

Find something you don't hate.

Walk. Cycle. Swim. Dance. Go for a hike. Take the dog out. Play with your children. Walk to school. Get off the bus one stop earlier. Put some music on and move around the house.

It all counts as movement.

And living in the Netherlands actually gives us quite a few opportunities to make movement part of everyday life without necessarily calling it exercise. Cycling to school, walking to the shops, taking the bike instead of the car — these small things can add up.

What can parents do?

Look beyond organised sport.

If your child hates football, that doesn't mean they hate movement. Some children will prefer cycling, swimming, dancing, climbing, walking or simply being outside.

Build movement into the day.

A walk or bike ride after school can provide a useful transition between school and home, particularly for children who have had a demanding day.

Don't turn exercise into another performance target.

For children who already experience pressure around school or achievement, the last thing they need is another area in which they feel they are not doing enough. Think health and wellbeing rather than performance.

Consider movement when a child seems constantly "wired".

Physical activity can be one way of helping children shift out of a high-alert, school-focused state. It isn't a treatment for anxiety or stress, but it can be one part of a healthy routine.

Protect sleep too.

One of the interesting things about this research is that exercise and sleep are closely connected. The brain's waste-clearance system is particularly active during sleep, so exercise should not come at the expense of getting enough rest.

And perhaps most importantly, model it.

Children don't necessarily need another lecture about why exercise is good for them. They are more likely to absorb healthy habits when movement is simply something the family does.

Perhaps we don't need to love exercise

The researchers behind this review are clear that there is still a lot we don't know. More research is needed before we can say exactly what type, intensity or amount of exercise is best for supporting the glymphatic system.

But we already know enough to take movement seriously.

The brain is not separate from the rest of the body. Sleep, cardiovascular health, inflammation, stress and physical activity all interact with brain functioning.

And for those of us who don't particularly enjoy exercise, perhaps that is the most useful takeaway.

You don't have to become a fitness fanatic.

You don't even have to like it.

But maybe it is worth doing anyway.

Your future brain might thank you for it.

Source: Broatch et al., Exercise as a regulator of glymphatic function, Trends in Neurosciences, 2026.