Regular exercise can prevent motor disabilities in old age

If you want to stay fit in old age, you should regularly exercise. Old age is often characterized by difficulty in moving about and loss of memory. However, a new study says that the difficulty in movement can be easily overcome by exercising despite decline in brain function.(Read:Drink red wine to prevent memory loss in old age)

What are the findings of the study?

The study found that MRI scans of many old people reveal white matter hyperintensities, higher levels of these damages have been linked to disability of movement such as difficulty in walking. But, according to this study, people who were the most physically active do not face difficulty in movement irrespective of the levels of their brain damage. (Read: Men feel lonelier than women during old ag)0

What is the conclusion of the study?

Author Debra A. Fleischman of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago believes that a more active lifestyle needs to be encouraged to prevent age-related damages like inability to move. She further explained that does not claim that physical activity can preserve movement ability but it only links the two. (Read: A healthy heart in youth can keep diseases away in old age )

The study is published in the online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

Image source: Getty Images

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