Posted Dec 4, 2010
New York (dpa) – Walks not only help older people stay physically fit, they may also be good for their brains, a new US study has shown.
The study, by a team of University of Pittsburgh researchers led by neurologist Kirk Erickson, suggested that walking at least 10 kilometres a week protected against age-related memory loss. The results were published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.
“Brain size shrinks in late adulthood, which can cause memory problems,” said Erickson, who proposed further studies to determine whether, and what kind of, fitness training could help prevent dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
A total of 299 seniors, all initially dementia-free, recorded how far they walked weekly. After nine years, researchers measured their brain sizes and found that seniors who walked 10 to 16 kilometres a week had preserved more grey matter than those who walked less.
Four years later, participants were tested for cognitive impairment and dementia. By then, 116 (40 per cent) had developed one or the other. Participants who walked the most cut their risk of memory loss in half.
“If regular exercise in midlife could improve brain health and improve thinking and memory in later life, it would be one more reason to make regular exercise in people of all ages a public health imperative,” Erickson said.