A new study conducted by researchers at the University of
Miami in Florida, suggests exercise in older age may slow the rate of cognitive
decline and knock off a decade of the brain.
Researchers found that adults over the age of 50 who engaged
in light or no exercise showed a significantly faster decline in memory and cognitive
skills, compared with those who engaged in moderate to intense exercise.
Similar research in the past suggested that any amount of
exercise may reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease by 50%.
Although, these types of studies are
in abundance, researchers say it is important to understand how cognitive
decline may be slowed by lifestyle factors, especially with an ageing
population.
Dr.Clinton B. Wright, of the University of Miami in Florida notes:
"The number of people over the age of 65 in the United
States is on the rise, meaning the public health burden of thinking and memory
problems will likely grow.”
"Our study showed that for older people, getting
regular exercise may be protective, helping them keep their cognitive abilities
longer."
For the study, the researchers evaluated data of 876 adults
aged 50 and older - an average age of 71 - free of memory and thinking problems
that were part of the Northern Manhattan Study.
Participants were asked how often they had exercised in the
previous 2 weeks and how long they had exercised for.
Almost 90% of the participants said they engaged in either
light exercise or no exercise at all. The other 10% reported engaging in
moderate to high-intensity exercise, such as running, aerobics or calisthenics.
Approximately seven years later, participants had to take
part in memory and thinking tests and undergo brain imaging with Magnetic
Resonance Imaging (MRI). The same cognitive tests were completed again five
years later.
Participants who engaged in light or no exercise
demonstrated a decline in memory and thinking skills compared with participants
who did moderate or high-intensity exercise over a 5-year period. Researchers
said the difference was comparable to 10 years of ageing.
According to the research team, this association remained after
accounting for a number of potentially confounding factors, including alcohol
consumption, smoking, body mass index (BMI) and blood pressure.
Dr. Wright said:
"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.
Our results suggest that moderate to intense exercise may
help older people delay aging of the brain, but more research from randomized
clinical trials comparing exercise programs to more sedentary activity is
needed to confirm these results."
The study was published online in the journal Neurology.