Walking is a great way to get exercise, but new research has found that those steps can also help reduce your risk of dementia. The study found that walking 10,000 steps each day can cut your risk of dementia by half. So if you’re looking for a way to stay healthy, be sure to make time for a walk each day.
Vascular dementia is the second most common type of dementia after Alzheimer’s and can affect memory, concentration, and thought processes. Previous research has shown that aerobic exercises can help to increase blood flow to the brain and improve memory function, so it’s no surprise that walking 10,000 steps each day potentially reduces the risk of dementia.
Many people don’t realize how going for a walk can greatly benefit physical and mental health. Previous studies have suggested that moderate exercise may reduce the risk of dementia by a third. However, this research proves that walking may be the best way to reduce your risk. Walking 10,000 steps each day not only reduces the risk of dementia but can also reduce other conditions, such as high blood pressure and heart disease.
For the study, researchers monitored the steps of 78,430 adults between the ages of 40 and 79 over the course of seven years. They found that 9,800 steps per day could reduce the risk of dementia by half. There was no added risk reduction if participants went higher than that number. However, walking fewer steps daily, such as taking 3,800 steps, was found to reduce the risk of dementia by 25 percent.
“This study represents an important contribution to step count-based recommendations for dementia prevention,” the study’s authors wrote. “Step count-based recommendations have the advantage of being easy to communicate, interpret and measure, and may be particularly relevant for people who accumulate their physical activity in an unstructured manner.”
Sarah Cownley has a diploma in nutritional therapy from Health Sciences Academy in London. She enjoys helping others by teaching healthy lifestyle changes through her personal consultations and her regular contributions to the Doctors Health Press. This article was first published on BelMarraHealth.com