Walking helps both body and mind

Mild, regular exercise, such as a few hours of walking every week, appears to help keep the mind sharp in old age. Researchers from the University of Virginia School of Medicine, USA, reviewed information about physical activity collected from 2,257 men between the ages of 71 and 93 years old. The researchers followed them for 8 years and noted who developed dementia. It was found that men who walked less than one quarter of a mile per day were 80 percent more likely to become demented, compared with men who said they logged at least 2 miles of walking each day. Men who walked more than one-quarter mile each day but less than 2 miles also showed a slightly higher risk of dementia compared with men who walked the most. In addition, during the first evaluation, men who were able to walk 10 feet in 3 seconds or less - an indication of physical fitness in the elderly- showed a slightly lower risk of developing dementia during the following years. In another study researchers from Harvard School of Public Health asked more than 18,000 women between the ages of 70 and 81 to complete tests of learning and memory, and repeated the same tests 2 years later. They found that women who were more active were more likely to do well in tests of mental functioning. Specifically, women who exercised the equivalent of walking at an easy pace for at least 1.5 hours each week scored higher on the tests than women who spent less than 40 minutes per week at the same activity level. Hence, walking and other light forms of exercise can be linked to a number of health benefits, such as a lower risk of cancer and heart disease, and greater longevity.

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