Exercise Benefits the Mind Reported
September 22, 2004
(Ivanhoe Newswire)–Your mind will surely reap the benefits from your good habits. That’s the word from two new studies published this week.
According to researchers from Harvard School of Public Health in Boston and the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville, seniors who integrate cardiovascular activity into their lives, such as walking, lower their risk of mental decline.
In the first study, Harvard researchers surveyed nearly 18,800 women, ages 70 to 81 years, and asked them to rank their physical activity.
The data show women who walked for at least 1.5 hours weekly at a comfortable pace had better cognitive health than those who walked less than 40 minutes per week.
The second study from the University of Virginia shows men, too, can benefit from the routine of exercise. Researchers studied nearly 2,300 men, ages 71 to 93 years, and ranked their exercise levels for two years.
The research shows men who walked more than two miles per day decreased their risk for dementia. Men who walked less than one mile per day increased their risk for dementia by 71 percent.
Both research teams conclude exercise and active lifestyles are associated with a reduced risk of cognitive decline in both women and men
SOURCE: Journal of the American Medical Association, 2004;292:1447-1453, 1454-1461