Whether you’ve been exercising all your life or you’re just getting started, a new study shows that you may be keeping your brain healthy, too!
A group of 200 people averaging 50 years of age were tested and put into groups according to their degree of fitness. They were followed for 44 years, during which they were tested six times for dementia.
Only 5 percent of the “highly fit” developed dementia, while 32 percent of people in the “low fitness” group developed dementia. Among those who were actually unable to complete the fitness test at the start of the study, 44 percent went on to have dementia.
Many studies have been done which support the same conclusion as this study, and it is widely believed that there is a strong connection between heart health and brain health.
If you want to keep both your brain and your heart healthy, enroll in a fitness class or get busy practicing a favorite sport. You can call the Arizona Senior Olympics office for advice on how to begin, but the most important thing is to get started! You’ll be glad you did!
