Exercise May Slow Brain Aging by 10 Years for Older People

Exercise in older people is associated with a slower rate of decline in thinking skills. People who reported light to no exercise experienced a decline equal to 10 more years of aging according to research published in the online issue of Neurology®, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Said study author Clinton B. Wright, MD, MS, of the University of Miami in Miami, Fla., and member of the American Academy of Neurology: “Our study showed that for older people, getting regular exercise may be protective, helping them keep their cognitive abilities longer.”

Researchers looked at data on 876 people enrolled in the Northern Manhattan Study who were asked how long and how often they exercised during the two weeks prior to that date. An average of seven years later, each person was given tests of memory and thinking skills and a brain MRI, and five years after that they took the memory and thinking tests again.

Of the group, 90 percent reported light exercise or no exercise. Light exercise could include activities such as walking and yoga. They were placed in the low activity group. The remaining 10 percent reported moderate to high intensity exercise, which could include activities such as running, aerobics, or calisthenics. They were placed in the high activity group.

Researchers found that those reporting low activity levels showed a greater decline over five years compared to those with high activity levels on tests. The difference was equal to that of 10 years of aging. The difference also remained after researchers adjusted for other factors such as smoking, alcohol use, high blood pressure and body mass index.

“Physical activity is an attractive option to reduce the burden of cognitive impairment in public health because it is low cost and doesn’t interfere with medications,” said Wright. “Our results suggest that moderate to intense exercise may help older people delay aging of the brain.”

The study was a collaboration between the University of Miami and Columbia University and was supported by the National Institutes of Health and National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.