If you hear a little voice inside say, "Go for a walk," that might be your brain telling you what it needs. I've just come across two new studies that reveal how
simple act of taking a walk each day may offer significant protection from one of most feared of all health problems.
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Cognitive decline is a symptom that signals possible onset of Alzheimer's disease, which is leading cause of dementia among aging adults. In September, Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) published two studies that specifically address effects of light exercise on cognitive decline in older women and dementia in elderly men.
Researchers at Harvard School of Public Health conducted first study. Questionnaires were used to assess physical activity levels and exercise patterns for more than 18,700 women, aged 70 to 81 years. The questionnaires covered a minimum of nine years, and were followed up with two telephone interviews with each subject to assess cognitive health measures such as memory and attention span.
In conclusion to study, Harvard team wrote that significantly better cognitive function and less cognitive decline were both strongly associated with "long-term regular physical activity, including walking."
Lead researcher, Jennifer Weuve, ScD., told Internet Broadcasting Systems that women who walked two to three hours at an easy pace each week "performed significantly better on these tests of cognition than women who walked less than one hour per week." And even less cognitive decline was noted in women who walked six or more hours each week.
These results reminded me of another benefit of regular walking among women. In e-Alert "Second Pass" (4/5/04), I told you about a six-year breast cancer study that included data on more than 74,000 women over age of 50. Researchers found that women who exercise regularly have lower breast cancer rates. And in many cases, only a couple of hours of brisk walking each week may provide enough exercise to reduce breast cancer risk.
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In second JAMA study, researchers at University of Virginia School of Medicine looked at association between walking exercise and risk of dementia in men aged 71 to 93.
