There are so many benefits to getting regular exercise — you feel better, you look better, it can help prevent many, many diseases and maladies that plague so many people.  There is also a ton of research out there suggesting that it can help prevent Alzheimer’s.

Preventing Alzheimer’s: Exercise still best bet

Mounting evidence suggests that physical activity may have benefits beyond a healthy heart and body weight. Through the past several years, population studies have suggested that exercise which raises your heart rate for at least 30 minutes several times a week can lower your risk of Alzheimer’s. Physical activity appears to inhibit Alzheimer’s-like brain changes in mice, slowing the development of a key feature of the disease.

There is now evidence that exercise can help prevent moderate memory loss! But if you think about it — this is not mind blowing information. Using your muscle, helps it stay in shape and gets it strong! No Brainer! Use it or Lose it — we all know that.

Computer use and exercise may help fight memory loss

Some previous studies have found a link between exercise and a reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), while others have linked cognitively stimulating activities, such as reading books, playing games or using a computer, and a reduced risk of mild cognitive impairment. But no studies have examined the combined effects of exercise and computer use.

Geda and his colleagues surveyed 926 people ages 70 to 93 living in Olmsted County, Minn. Participants were asked whether they had engaged in moderate physical activity, such as brisk walking, hiking, aerobics, strength training, yoga or weight lifting, in the past year, and how frequently they participated in the activities. They were also asked about the extent of their computer use.

Participants were examined by a physician to diagnose MCI. Of the 205 study participants who did not exercise and did not use a computer, 41 (20 percent) showed signs of MCI. Of the 314 who both exercised and used a computer, 20 (6 percent) showed signs of MCI, the study found. People who either used a computer or exercised experienced some protection against mild cognitive impairment, compared with people who did neither activity, but that finding could have been due to chance, the study said.