Study: Exercise Helps Memory Problems

Older adults with memory problems improved a bit after a program of brisk walking, researchers report. The study included 85 adults, ages 50 and older. All had signs of memory problems. They were assigned to walk or do other brisk exercise at least 2½ hours a week. They recorded activity in diaries. Newsletters and phone calls encouraged them to keep it up. After six months, they took a test of brain function. So did a similar group that was not urged to exercise. The exercise group performed 1.3 points better on a 70-point scale. The study appeared in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The Associated Press wrote about it September 3.