Walking may slow brain decline!

While in college, I often find it difficult to make time for the gym.  It is important to me to stay as active as possible, so my roomate and I have begun bring our books to the gym!  While we can not do as much of the cardio would would like to while reading, we have found that we are still able to walk on the treadmill while reading, which we figure is much better than sitting on the couch or at a desk reading.  While looking over the health section of CNN.com I came across an article that states that walking can help slow brain decline.  There is an ongoing 20-year study whree participants are monitored for the distance they walk each week.  Their brain volume is measured using MRI, combined with other testing and are using a 30-question mini-mental state exame, which helps measure cognitive decline in the brain.  Researchers are following 426 people, 299 of which are healthy adults and 127 are cognitively impaired adults, including 83 with mild cognitive impairment and 44 with Alzheimer's disease.  Participants walked between zero and 300 blocks per week and researchers say the greater mounts of walking were associated with greater brain volumes, espically in the key memory and learning areas of the brain!  Individuals with cognitiv eimpairment needed to walk at least five miles per week to slow cognitive decline and maintain brain volume and healthy adults needed to walk about six miles per week to maintain brain volume and reduce their risk for mental decline.  I think it's amazing that something so simple as walking can have such a significant impact on out mental decline.  I now not only feel good about walking because I am keeping my body healthy, but now I know I am also keeping my mind healthy! To learn more about this click here.