Walking to Remember

It’s commonly known that physical activity is good for your heart and maintaining a healthy weight. But did you know that it may also lower your risk of dementia?

Physical activity has an important impact on brain health, says Manisha Parulekar, M.D., division chief for geriatrics at Hackensack University Medical Center. “Being active doesn’t just benefit your body, it can improve your brain health and mood,” she says.

A recent study found that getting 9,800 steps daily decreased the risk of dementia in adults. The study also found that step intensity and walking pace matter: Walking purposefully (at least 40 steps per minute) was associated with lowered dementia risk. 

How Does Walking Lower Dementia Risk?

Exercise helps protect your ability to remember things and think clearly. Getting a high daily step count may help:

• Improve blood flow to the brain, which benefits memory and cognition.
• Lower the impact of stress on the hippocampus, a brain region associated with storing new memories.
• Encourage the brain to enhance internal connections that allow you to retain memories.
• Reduce chronic inflammation, which is associated with dementia.

“There’s no downside to walking more to boost your step count,” Dr. Parulekar says. “You may improve your brain health, heart health, overall health and your mood.”

How to Get More Steps

Are you eager to increase your step count? Try these ideas:

• Track your movement with a wearable activity tracker or smartphone pedometer app. Seeing how much you move may motivate you to increase your daily number.
• Don’t expect to boost your number overnight if it’s low. Make small changes to your routine, increasing by 500 or 1,000 steps weekly.
• Find small ways to be more active. Choose a far-away parking spot, and take the stairs.
• Swap sedentary habits for active ones. Walk with friends instead of sitting; watch TV from a treadmill, not the couch.
• Go for a walk at a set time, such as after dinner. Make the activity part of your regular routine.
• Schedule short walks into your day like meetings, and honor the appointments. 
• If you have a dog, take a longer walk together once a day.
• Listen to music or a podcast that you love while you walk. It may inspire you to go farther, so you can keep listening.
• Buddy up with a friend or partner to make walking a social occasion. You may go more consistently if you have a regular walking date.

With June being Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, we encourage you to help us spread the word about the benefits of walking to ward off this disease, which is the most common form of dementia. To learn about Hackensack University Medical Center’s comprehensive treatment for dementia and memory loss disorders visit – HMHforU.org/MemoryLoss. 

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