Moving More May Help Older Adults Preserve Memory, Thinking Skills

A new study published in Neurology found daily exercise or routine physical activity could help older adults retain memory and thinking skills, reports Earth.com . The analysis of 454 older adults — 191 with dementia and 263 normal subjects — over 20 years determined more movement may have helped protect the brain against dementia. "People who moved more had better thinking and memory skills compared to those who didn't move much at all," said Rush University Medical Center's Aron S. Buchman. "We found movement may essentially provide a reserve to help maintain thinking and memory skills when there are signs of dementia present in the brain." Two years before they died, participants were given an accelerometer to record daily movement. Subjects with dementia had an average activity score of 130,000 counts daily, and those without had an average 180,000 counts daily. Boosting physical activity by one single deviation made participants 31 percent less likely to develop dementia. For each increase in motor ability by one standard deviation, participants were 55 percent less likely to develop dementia.