Get active as you age–or risk losing mental function

Activity seems to be very closely related to how well you maintain your mental functioning as you age, says a study reported in today’s Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Based on a 10-year study of 290 participants, all men between the ages of 70 and 90 in 1990.

Activity of all kinds counts–walking, biking, hobbies, gardening, odd jobs and playing sports–so you don’t have to become a marathon runner to get the benefits of physical activity. Will be interesting to see if they can replicate the results when they decide to put together a similar study that includes women…