Exercise Can Help Protect Motor Skills in Seniors

One of the most important ways to offset some of the effects of brain aging on seniors' ability to walk and control their movements is by exercising on a regular basis,  according to a new study.

"The association between physical activity and motor function in older adults is well-established," said lead author Debra A. Fleischman of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. "What is less understood is the biological basis of that association."

A recent study published in Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology, has found that staying physically active can protect seniors against the effects of brain damage, including movement abilities.

"These results underscore the importance of efforts to encourage a more active lifestyle in older people to prevent movement problems, which is a major public health challenge," Dr. Debra A. Fleischman, from the Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, said in a statement. "Physical activity may create a 'reserve' that protects motor abilities against the effects of age-related brain damage."

The study involved 167 people with an average age of 80. The participants wore movement monitors on their wrists for up to 11 days to measure both exercise and non-exercise activity. They also took 11 tests of their movement abilities. MRI scans were used to determine the volume of white matter hyperintensities in the brain.

Compared to those at the 50th percent in activity level measured using the movement monitors, those in the top 10 percent had activity equal to walking at 2.5 mph for an additional 1.5 hours each day.