If you want to keep your brain active as you age, walking may be the right prescription. A study of older, sedentary adults found that making them walk for 40 minutes, twice a week boosted the connectivity of their brain networks. This should help stem cognitive impairment.? This study was interesting in that it took inactive subjects aged 59-80 and started them on a walking exercise program for four months.
The study compared the walking subjects with those who did stretching and toning only, but the stretch/tone group did not show the same improvement in their brain networks.? It would be interesting to know whether it was the increased blood flow that aerobic exercise provides that made the difference, or whether the coordination needed for walking helped keep the brain better organized.
This adds to evidence that moderate intensity exercise such as walking can help prevent mental as well as physical decline as we age.
Source: Jonathan H. Burdette, et.al. "Using Network Science to Evaluate Exercise-Associated Brain Changes in Older Adults." Front Aging Neurosci. 2010; 2: 23.
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