The article speaks about a longitudinal study that followed 3050 twins in Finland over a span of 25 years. The premise of the study was to examine the impact of vigorous exercises had on the cognitive health of older people. According to the article, significant results exist from the study that suggest that exercises more vigorous than walking greatly decrease the risk of developing cognitive problems such as dementia in later years in life. According to experts cited in the article, the causal link may be the positive impact exercise has on vascular health. Further, the author notes that conditions such as high blood pressure contribute to risks associated with dementia, which may be why exercise has such a dramatic impact on the brain.

Key Points:

• A new study of 3050 twins finds moderately vigorous physical activity – i.e., more strenuous than walking – to be associated with better cognition
• midlife, moderately vigorous physical activity is associated with better cognition at old age
• Increasing the volume of physical activity was not, however, associated with increased memory-protecting benefits