Can exercise slow cognitive decline ?

A study done during 3 years in Chicago demonstrate that moderate to high levels of regular physical activity may help slow cognitive decline in older adults with higher and lower total tau* concentrations

Medium activity was defined as participating in less than 150 minutes of physical activity per week. High activity was defined as engaging in 150 minutes or more of physical activity per week.

The study showed that people engaged in Medium to High physical activity have a slower rate of cognitive decline (between 41 to 58%) in comparison with the one engaged in little physical activity

"These results suggest that physical activity may have a positive association with cognitive function and that sedentary behavior may have a negative association with cognitive function," the investigators report.

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Source : JAMA Netw Open. Published online August 11, 2021

* The tau neuronal protein is predominantly found in brain cells (neurons). Among tau's multiple functions in healthy brain cells, a very important one is stabilization of the internal microtubules (the neuron's transport system), and stabilize their formation and maintenance.