Alzheimer’s disease occurs when clumps of proteins prevent brain cells from communicating with one another. The result of this is a decline in cognitive functions, beyond what may be expected as a consequence of old age. Key symptoms may include confusion, disorientation and delusion. According to one line of research, taking just under 9,000 steps each day could lower the risk of brain decline.
The positive effect of exercise on the brain are well documented, and protecting the organ against decline doesn’t call for vigorous exertion.
In fact, moderate exercise in the form of walking has proven hugely beneficial in the prevention of decline.
According to findings published in the medical journal JAMA Neurology, walking under just 9,000 steps a day could protect the brain against Alzheimer’s disease.
Reisa Sperling, director of the Centre for Alzheimer’s Research and Treatment and co-author of the study, said: “Beneficial effects were seen at even modest levels of physical activity, but were prominent at around 8,900 steps, which is only slightly less than the 10,000 many of us struck to achieve daily.”
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The researchers assessed how physical activity impacted neuro-degeneration in a study of 182 participants with an average age of over 73-years-old.
The participants had elevated b-amyloid protein in the brain and were deemed at higher risk of mental decline.
The presence of beta-amyloid plaque in the brain is one of the main hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease.
The National Institute of Ageing explains: “In the Alzheimer’s brain, abnormal levels of this naturally occurring protein climb together to form plaques that collect between neurons and disrupt cell function.
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“Research is going to better understand how, and at what stage of the disease, the various forms of beta-amyloid influence Alzheimer’s.”
All participants were required to carry pedometers on their hips, that counted the number of steps taken each day.
Data was accumulated over the course of eight years between April 2015 and June 2018, by the Harvard Ageing Brain Study at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston.
The findings revealed that increased physical activity was associated with a reduced degree of mental decline.
The researchers also concluded that walking 8,900 steps a day was directly linked to a reduced risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Corresponding authors of the study, Jasmeer Chhatwal, from the Department of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital, highlighted another key finding of the study.
The researcher said: “One of the most striking findings from our study was that greater physical activity not only appeared to have positive effects on slowing cognitive decline, but also on slowing the rate of brain tissue loss over time in normal people who had high levels of amyloid plaque in the brain.”
Dietary tips to avoid Alzheimer’s disease
Adhering to a heart-healthy diet can confer significant benefits for the brain.