A new study suggests that walking a mile a day can decrease the chances of developing Alzheimer’s disease or dementia in older adults.

The study monitored the exercise habits of 299 participants over thirteen years in total, beginning in 1989. Participants were evaluated based on an initial measurement of walking, then reevaluated nine and thirteen years after the initial examinations with high resolution MRI scans.

In the past, studies have been completed that focused on the effectiveness of physical exercise on brain function in older adults for periods of six months to one year, but never over such a long time frame. “This is the first study that really looked over a several-year span and was able to assess this,” said study author Kirk Erickson, an assistant professor of psychology at the University of Pittsburgh.

It turns out that walking that distance can increase the size of a person’s gray matter, which is beneficial because gray matter shrinks as adults age, increasing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. The researchers also found people who walked that distance reduced their risk of cognitive impairment by about half. However, walking more than one mile every day did not further improve brain volume.

At Senior Living Residences, exercise is an important component of Compass Memory Support. All of our communities offer on site Wellness Programs that include supervised exercise and walking groups, and many also feature strength training, dancing, gentle stretching, yoga, tai chi, and more.

Little things can sabotage your efforts to slow down the clock.

It pretty much goes without saying that smoking cigarettes and frying your skin in the sun make you older, so kudos for quitting and slathering on the sunscreen religiously. But if you’re trying to turn down the clock – or at least slow it down a little – don’t overlook these other habits that may be sabotaging your efforts.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36851873/ns/heath-aging/