Staying physically active and having regular exercise as you age may ward off brain damage that may lead to immobility in old age, says a new study published in the journal Neurology.
The researchers discovered that people with mobility problems when they grow old has small areas of brain damage which is termed as 'white matter hyperintensities' as shown in their MRI scans.
The team from Rush University Medical Center in Chicago suggests that higher levels of such damage have been associated with difficulty in walking and doing other activities in older adults.
"Preserving motor function is just as important as preserving mental function to maintain independence and quality of life in older age," said lead researcher Debra Fleischman, a professor in the departments of neurological sciences and behavioral sciences.
She added, "Our results suggest that daily physical activity may be able to protect motor function from age-related injury to the brain."
The study involved 167 patients with an average age of 80. They were made to wear movement monitors for 11 days and the results from these monitors were analyzed by the researchers. They found out that there is a close link between white matter hyperintensities in the brain and the amount of physical activity the participants did in the past 11 days.
Apparently, those participants who had more exercise, despite having high levels of brain damage, scored better in the series of movement tests compared to those who lack exercise.
Accordingly, Dr. Sam Gandy, professor and associate director of the Mount Sinai Alzheimer's Disease Research Center in New York City noted the study as very important. "Virtually everything about Alzheimer's and other dementia appears to be mitigated by physical exercise. I think that this study serves to make that case even more compelling," he told US News Health.
Professor Fleischman reiterated, "You do not have to be marathon runners." She recommends seniors to engage in all sorts of physical activities in order to ward off immobility in the next years.