Working out'reverses mental decline'


Taking regular exercise may help to improve the functionality of older people's brains, it has been suggested.


According to the Telegraph, although scientists have believed for some time that physical activity can delay the onset of mental degenerative conditions such as dementia, researchers now think it may also reverse it.


In news that may be of interest to those seeking Alzheimer's care for a friend or family member, recent studies have found that regular exercise can improve the speed and sharpness of thought.


Working out 'reverses mental decline'


This process has been witnessed not only in people going through the natural ageing process but also those suffering from Alzheimer's.


Writing in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, Professor Art Kramer, from the US Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois, said that six months of regular moderate activity which causes breathlessness will result in improvements in brain activity.


"We can safely argue that an active lifestyle with moderate amounts of aerobic activity will likely improve cognitive and brain function and reverse the neural decay frequently observed in older adults," he noted.


Meanwhile, the author Terry Pratchett - himself an Alzheimer's sufferer - has called for more funding to be made available for research into the disease.



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