In a recent study at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), researchers examined the relationship between the cognitive function of non-demented older adults with memory issues and physical activity. Turns out, walking works out more than your body. It also works out your brain.
Data analysis from the study showed that those who walked more than 4,000 steps a day had a thicker hippocampus, that area primarily associated with memory and spatial navigation, as well as surrounding regions in the brain. These same subjects also performed higher in attention, information processing speed as well as executive function. People who walked less than 4,000 steps a day showed a markedly thinner brain structure and lower cognitive function.
Prabha Siddarth, PhD, biostatistician and the study’s lead author at UCLA stated, “Brain thickness… can track subtle changes in the brain earlier than volume and can independently predict cognition.”
So, strengthening our bodies also strengthens our brains. Break out that Fitbit and go for 4,000!
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