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Walking reduces effect of Alzheimer's
Source: Agencies |
February 2, 2011, Wednesday
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A SECTION of the brain involved in memory grew in size in older people who regularly took brisk walks for a year, American researchers reported on Monday.
The new study reinforces previous findings that aerobic exercise seems to reduce brain atrophy in early-stage Alzheimer's patients, and that walking leads to slight improvement on mental tests among older people with memory problems.
The study involved 120 sedentary people, ages 55 to 80. They were divided into two groups - half began a program of walking for 40 minutes a day, three days a week; the others did stretching and toning exercises.
The hippocampus, a region of the brain involved in memory, tends to shrink with age and that's what happened in the group that only did stretching. But among people who took part in the walking program, the hippocampus region of the brain grew in size by roughly two percent.
Researchers found that there was some memory improvement in both groups, but "in the aerobic exercise group, increased hippocampal volume was directly related to improvements in memory performance."
Art Kramer, of the University of Illinois and the senior author: "The results of our study are interesting in that they suggest that even modest amounts of exercise by sedentary older adults can lead to improvements in memory."
The new study reinforces previous findings that aerobic exercise seems to reduce brain atrophy in early-stage Alzheimer's patients, and that walking leads to slight improvement on mental tests among older people with memory problems.
The study involved 120 sedentary people, ages 55 to 80. They were divided into two groups - half began a program of walking for 40 minutes a day, three days a week; the others did stretching and toning exercises.
The hippocampus, a region of the brain involved in memory, tends to shrink with age and that's what happened in the group that only did stretching. But among people who took part in the walking program, the hippocampus region of the brain grew in size by roughly two percent.
Researchers found that there was some memory improvement in both groups, but "in the aerobic exercise group, increased hippocampal volume was directly related to improvements in memory performance."
Art Kramer, of the University of Illinois and the senior author: "The results of our study are interesting in that they suggest that even modest amounts of exercise by sedentary older adults can lead to improvements in memory."
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