New Study Reveals That Walking 5,000 Steps Each Day Could Slow the Advancement of Alzheimer’s Disease

Walking serves as an extremely effective and easy exercise that can maintain your health over your lifetime. In addition to enhancing physical fitness, recent research indicates it may also provide further mental advantages in the long run. The study, conducted by Mass General Brigham, a comprehensive health system located in Boston, discovered that engaging in a daily walk could aid in mitigating the cognitive decline linked to Alzheimer’s disease.

Published in Nature Medicine, this research delves into lifestyle choices, medical records, and brain imaging of 296 subjects aged from 50 to 90 years. The participants, who initially showed no cognitive impairment, were monitored for a duration of 14 years. In their investigations, the researchers examined the participants’ brains for amyloid and tau, proteins that are associated with the progressive illness in elevated amounts, alongside regular cognitive assessments.

According to the results, even minimal physical activity was linked to a 34% to 40% reduction in cognitive and functional decline. One of the most intriguing aspects is that the target for combating this decline is attainable for many. You simply need to take between 5,000 and 7,500 steps each day. Even walking just 3,000 steps daily has a beneficial impact as well.

“Importantly, the correlations with more favorable tau and cognitive trajectories plateaued at moderate levels of physical activity (5,001–7,500 steps per day), which might seem a more manageable objective for inactive older adults than the widely cited goal of 10,000 steps frequently mentioned in popular media,” state the researchers.

In addition to its implications for Alzheimer’s disease, scientists from Yale University School of Medicine and Central South University found that health risks significantly diminished at 8,250 steps per day. Furthermore, the likelihood of developing dementia and cancer also decreases with the increased steps taken daily, according to a study published in Jama International Medicine. However, there is no necessity to exceed a goal of 10,000 steps per day, as benefits generally plateau once this threshold is achieved.

Sources: Physical activity as a modifiable risk factor in preclinical Alzheimer’s disease

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