A recent study out of England found that walking just under 10,000 steps a day reduces a person’s risk of developing dementia by 50 percent. Pick up the pace to a “brisk” walk (over 40 steps per minute), and that risk goes down even further. Perhaps most strikingly, the authors found that even a low number of daily steps was associated with a reduced risk of dementia.
The walking study is the latest finding in a long line of research that links exercise to our brain health. In fact, some authors have suggested that through a brain-healthy lifestyle, an individual may reduce their lifetime risk by 70 percent. I’ve found that the health interventions that benefit the brain and the whole body are the most impactful. Get physically active. Mentally stimulated. Socially connected. Lower your blood pressure, your cholesterol, and your blood sugar.