Healthy body keeps brain healthy in old age

Tuesday October 23rd, 2012

Keeping physically fit in old age may be the best way to keep the brain healthy, researchers say today.

Regular physical exercise is a better way to protect the brain than mental exercise, according to the researchers at Edinburgh University, Scotland, UK.

Quite a lot of research has backed the idea of "brain exercise" to help combat decay of the mind in late life.

But this may be of little use without physical activity, according to the latest study.

The findings come from brain scans conducted over three years with almost 700 volunteers and reported in the journal Neurology.

This showed a strong link between physical exercise and the preservation of grey matter in the brain.

Researcher Dr Alan Gow said: "Our results suggest that to maintain brain health, physical activity may be more beneficial than choosing more sedentary activities.

"We are excited by the next stages of this research as we seek to understand more about what might underlie the effect, but in the meantime, increasing physical activity - even a short walk each day - can only be encouraged."

Professor James Goodwin, of Age UK, said: "This research is exciting as it provides vital clues as to what impacts the way our brain ages and how we could tackle mental decline.

"If we can establish definitively that exercise provides protection against mental decline, it could open the door to exercise programmes tailored to the needs of people as they age."

Neurology October 23 2012

Tags: Brain & Neurology | Elderly Health | Fitness | Mental Health | UK News

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