A new study from the University of Miami has found that exercise can keep a person’s brain as much as 10 years younger than the brains of those who are sedentary. Researchers found that people who exercise show slower rates of cognitive decline than people who are of a similar age but are less active.
Study author Clinton Wright says that the number of people in the U.S. who are over 65 is growing, which means more aging people with thinking and memory problems. “Our study showed that for older people, getting regular exercise may be protective, helping them keep their cognitive abilities longer.”
The study looked at 876 people with an average age of 71, an age where the risk of stroke is increased. The participants were part of the Northern Manhattan study. They were asked how often and how long they had exercised in the two weeks before being interviewed for the studies.
Ninety percent of participants reported either light exercise, including walking or yoga, or no exercise at all. These people were categorized as low activity. The remaining 10 percent were placed in the high activity group, as they reported moderate to high-intensity exercise such as aerobics or running.
Participants then took thinking and memory tests, and also underwent MRI brain scans which were repeated 5 years later. The resulting analysis showed that participants in the high level exercise group showed significantly less cognitive decline than those who exercised little.
Wright says physical activity does not interfere with medications and is low cost, making it an attractive option for reducing the burden of cognitive impairment on the public health system.
“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,” Wright concluded.
The study was published in the journal Neurology on March 23.