Mental Health

Moderate Exercise Can Help People Slow Down Memory Loss

By Drishya Nair | Update Date: Jul 16, 2012 09:21 AM EDT

Memory loss is a common problem faced by people in their middle age. But people who are experiencing mild memory loss which can be a sign of Alzheimer's disease can perhaps help themselves by a little exercise; say a few studies conducted recently.

According to researchers in Canada exercises such as lifting weights can improve the performance of people tests that examined the conflict resolution, attention and memory skills in people with mild cognitive impairment, reported Telegraph.

For the study conducted by The University of British Columbia, 86 women with the condition who were aged between 70 and 80 were studied.

A separate study by the National Centre for Geriatrics and Gerontology in Japan claims that a lot of improvement in the linguistic ability of older people with mild cognitive impairment was seen after they took part in a mixture of aerobic, strength and balance exercises for over a year.

Also, a third study conducted by a team of researchers in University of Pittsburgh involving 120 older adults found that walking with moderate intensity could stimulate the region of the brain related to memory.

The findings were presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference, in Vancouver, Canada.

 "While weightlifting and workouts may not be everyone's cup of tea, this research shows once again how important exercise is for the brain. We know regular exercise can reduce the risk of developing dementia by up to 45 per cent but these studies show it can also have real benefits for people with cognitive impairment," Dr Anne Corbett, Research Manager at Alzheimer's Society was quoted as saying by Telegraph.

"There are 800,000 people living with dementia in the UK. Research like this is crucial to help us provide the best treatment and care for people with mild cognitive impairment and dementia. The Prime Minister promised to double investment into research, now we need to make sure it's spent in the most effective way," she added according to the report.

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