Health News & Update: Exercise Delays Cognitive Decline By 10 Years [Study]

A recent study has found that higher levels of exercise in older adults can slow down mental decline. Cognitive abilities can be maintained longer by adults who practice regular physical exercise. 

According to Bioscience Technology, the new research has found out that compared to those who reported little to no exercise, older adults who regularly exercise could slow down their mental decline at a rate equals to 10 years of aging.

The observational study used data from 876 people enrolled at the Northern Manhattan Study. The study's lead author is Clinton B. Wright, M.D. of the University of Miami. The findings were published online in Neurology on March 23. This research was funded by a grant to the University of Miami and Columbia University received from the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

The research team discovered that getting regular exercise of moderate to high intensity could help maintain cognitive abilities longer. Wright declared that the most important finding of the study is that older adults who perform more physical activitied had less decline in thinking abilities and memory function than those who have less activity.

At the beginning of the study, participants had an average age of 63 years. In the two weeks prior to the date of the study, the group of participants was surveyed on the length and duration of their physical activities. 

Seven years later, participants were given an MRI scan as well as thinking and memory tests. At that time, the participants had an average age of 71. Five years after that, cognitive tests were administered again.

After analyzing the results, Wright's team found that those who were in the low-activity group performed worse on simple tasks and memory tests than those in the high-activity group. According to the researchers, after adjusting factors such as high blood pressure, alcohol use and smoking, the difference was equal to 10 years of aging.

According to Wright, the study has some limitations. Further research is necessary, especially clinical trials to examine the effects of exercise on thinking and memory.