Moving More May Cut Alzheimer’s Risk

Keep moving to keep your brain in good shape, a new study suggests. The research focused on a group of 716 adults without dementia. Their average age was 82. They wore a device called an actigraph on one wrist for 10 days. This device keeps track of everyday movements as well as structured exercise. People in the study also took tests to measure their memory and thinking skills. These were repeated every year for 4 years. During the 4 years, 71 people developed signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Those who were least active at the start of the study were twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s as those who were most active. People with the least intense activity were almost 3 times as likely to develop Alzheimer’s as those with the most intense activity. Overall, most movement came from everyday activities such housecleaning, cooking or gardening, not structured exercise.