As you walk, you make your way … and your memory improves. Walking a minimum of 10 kilometers a week protects the brain mass and at the same time helps preserve memory in advanced ages , according to a study published in the journal Neurology
"Brain mass shrinks in late adulthood, a fact that leads to memory problems," says Kirk I. Erickson, study author and researcher at the University of Pittsburgh. ? Our results should encourage well-designed trials of physical exercise in older adults as a promising approach to prevent dementia and Alzheimer's disease ,? he adds.
The researchers recorded the kilometers traveled by 299 people without dementia in a week. After nine years, the scientists performed brain scans of the participants to measure brain mass. Four years later, the participants were retested to see if they had developed dementia or cognitive impairment. As a result of the study, it was concluded that people who had walked at least 10 km a week retained a greater volume of gray matter than those who had not walked as much. And those who did more physical exercise reduced the risk of developing memory problems by half.
