Humans are designed to walk; being bipedal allows us to traverse long distances quickly and efficiently. Analysis of ancient foot prints discovered in Kenya show our ancestors walked very similar to modern day humans. Health benefits of walking include reduced risk of cancer, type-2 diabetes, heart disease, depression, and anxiety.
And a new study claims walking helps protect the brain and prevent cognitive decline and dementia as we age.
Writing in the journal Neurology, researchers found more physically active individuals had a lower risk of developing cognitive impairment, i.e. memory loss.
For the study, scientists tracked 300 adults, taking note of their cognitive abilities and physical activity, specifically how many blocks each person walked in a week. All participants were in good cognitive health at the beginning of the research.
After nine years, study participants were given an MRI to measure brain size. At that point, all were “cognitively normal.” But four years later, testing showed more than one-third of the people had developed mild cognitive impairment or dementia.
So considering the findings, the researchers are stressing the importance of staying active to preserve brain function, especially in our later years.
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