A healthy body really could mean a healthy mind.
For a study suggests that staying active before you hit the age of 50 could have stave off dementia in later life.
Scientists believe exercise may help to preserve volume in the part of the brain linked to thinking and memory.
Those who exercised throughout life were less likely to experience cognitive decline even if they had key markers of Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers analysed data from a long-running national health survey which has tracked more than 5,000 people from birth.
For a study suggests that staying active before you hit the age of 50 could have stave off dementia in later life
Scientists believe exercise may help to preserve volume in the part of the brain linked to thinking and memory
Using people who had turned 70 for the study, they looked back at records of their physical activity over three decades, before and after they turned 50.
Brain scans showed that ‘exercising throughout life was ‘associated with better cognitive functioning at age 70’, with the benefits more pronounced in women than men.
Dr Sarah-Naomi James, of the UCL Dementia Research Centre, said the results of the analysis of the National Survey of Health and Development showed ‘it’s never too late’ to become active.
David Thomas, of Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: ‘Dementia is not an inevitable part of ageing, and finding ways to prevent people from ever developing it is a vital part of our mission for a cure.’
