According to a new study, older people who exercise three or more times a week are significantly less likely to develop Alzheimer's and other types of dementia.
Healthy people who reported exercising regularly had a 30 to 40 percent lower risk of dementia.
This adds to the growing body of evidence that physical activity can help sustain mental faculties.
Researchers monitored the mental health and exercise habits of more than 1,700 healthy seniors with no signs of cognitive problems or dementia for six years.
During that time, some 9 percent of the patients in the study developed dementia-related difficulties, including Alzheimer's.
Yet those who devoted as little as 15 minutes to exercise three days a week cut their risk of dementia sharply. Even a short, brisk walk every day, according to the study, can make a difference.
The evidence just keeps piling on about the value of exercise in preventing Alzheimer's. This is certainly in line with a study I posted recently that found a commitment to exercise over the long haul can also decrease the cellular aging in your brain.
The trick about exercise, however, is treating it like a drug that needs to be prescribed precisely so you can achieve the maximum benefit. There are a number of excellent resources out there for exercise; you can review mine or search online or in your book store for further resources.
You can consider the following guidelines to protect your body (and reduce your risk) from the ravages of Alzheimer's without taking a drug: