Exercise 'protects brain from ageing'

“Regular exercise may be the best way to keep ageing brains sharp.

A new review of research has shown that even low to moderate exercise prevents the milder forms of cognitive decline in older age.

The research pooled the results of 15 studies and found that low to moderate exercise, such as playing a round of golf once a week or tennis twice a week, was linked to a 35% reduction in the risk of cognitive decline. The researchers think that this could be due to physical activity increasing blood flow to the brain.

This review of observational studies was well conducted and reported. It includes an analysis of over 30,000 people and it seems likely that the researchers have sourced the most important studies on this topic. Although these were not randomised studies, the consistency and strength of the evidence appears to provide the best current estimate of activity’s ability to prevent normal, age-related brain changes such as the decline of memory.