Mile a Day Keeps Dementia Away

Researchers at the University of Pittsburgh discovered a link between walking more and better mental function in old age. The research group began following the physical and cognitive activities of 300 older adults, with an average age of 78, in 1989.
After charting the group’s walking habits for nine years, each participant was given a brain scan. All were declared to be in good cognitive health. Four years later, roughly one-third of the group members had developed dementia, according to the study. Researchers discovered a correlation between the distance a person walks and the preservation of the gray matter of the brain.

Those who walked roughly six to nine miles per week had better gray matter preservation. The study does not prove that walking causes the preservation of cognitive functionäóîonly that those who walk appear to have better preserved mental acuity.

I’d start walking!