20 min brisk daily walk could keep dementia at bay

A 20 minute brisk walk every day could help beat dementia, as it not only boosts memory but also improves the walker's brain function, a new study has revealed.

Dr Laura Phipps, of Alzheimer's Research UK said that while there is currently no way to prevent dementia, the best evidence shows that regular exercise, along with eating a healthy diet, not smoking and keeping the blood pressure and cholesterol in check can help lower the risk, the Daily Express reported.

On a programme of moderate exercise, the researchers examined people aged 60 to 88, out of which half had mild cognitive impairment.

They were all asked to do their walking on a treadmill, guided by a personal trainer and it was found that respondents with cognitive impairment and those without improved their cardiovascular fitness by about 10 per cent.

Scans showed for the first time that the gentle workouts also improved brain function.

All participants improved their memory performance and showed enhanced ability at memory retrieval tasks.

The study is published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease.