Daily walking may delay cognitive decline by up to 7 years: Study
New Delhi: A new study suggests that taking a moderate number of steps every day could help protect the brain as we age. According to researchers, walking around 5,000 steps a day may delay cognitive decline by about three years, while hitting 7,500 steps daily could slow it down by nearly seven years.
The findings come from a study of nearly 300 adults and provide fresh evidence that staying physically active may help the brain fight changes linked to Alzheimer’s disease.
Why steps matter
Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that affects memory, speech, thinking, and daily functioning. Two major protein buildups in the brain—amyloid-beta and tau—are considered strong markers of this disease. Tau buildup, in particular, is known to damage neurons and lead to memory loss.
In this study, people with low levels of physical activity were found to accumulate tau proteins much faster than those who walked more. Sedentary participants also showed a quicker decline in thinking ability and everyday functioning.
“Lifestyle factors appear to impact the earliest stages of Alzheimer’s disease,” said senior researcher Jasmeer Chhatwal from Mass General Brigham in the US. “This suggests lifestyle changes may delay the onset of cognitive symptoms if we intervene early.”
He also noted that this research helps explain why some people show early signs of Alzheimer’s in the brain but do not worsen as quickly as others.
How the study was conducted
The research, published in Nature Medicine, analyzed 296 adults between 50 and 90 years of age, all of whom were mentally healthy at the start. They were part of the long-running Harvard Aging Brain Study.
Participants’ brain scans were taken to measure amyloid-beta and tau levels. Their daily physical activity was tracked with waist-worn pedometers. Researchers followed them for up to 14 years—making this one of the longest studies to examine step count and brain health together.
Key findings
Participants who walked between 5,001 and 7,500 steps a day showed a slower buildup of tau proteins.
Cognitive decline also slowed down in this moderate activity range.
Benefits appeared to plateau after 7,500 steps, meaning more steps did not show much extra protection.
Those with very low amyloid-beta at the start did not show much decline at all, regardless of physical activity.
Researchers concluded that most of the protective effect of walking comes from slowing down tau accumulation in the brain.
With inputs of PTI
Dr Bhumika Maikhuri is a Consultant Orthodontist at Sanjeevan Hospital, Delhi. She is also working as a Correspondent and a Medical Writer at Medical Dialogues. She completed her BDS from Dr D Y patil dental college and MDS from Kalinga institute of dental sciences. Apart from dentistry, she has a strong research and scientific writing acumen. At Medical Dialogues, She focusses on medical news, dental news, dental FAQ and medical writing etc.