New research suggests that even a simple exercise program might help older people with light, or mild, memory problems. Doctors have long advised patients to do physical activity to help keep their brains healthy. But the U.S. government-supported research marks the longest study of whether exercise makes any difference once memory starts to decline. Researchers found around 300 inactive older adults with memory changes called mild cognitive impairment (MCI). MCI is a condition that sometimes comes before Alzheimer’s disease. Half of the older adults did aerobic exercises, and the rest did stretching and balance movements that raised their heart rates a little. People in both groups got attention from trainers who worked with them at youth organization centers called YMCAs around the United States. When COVID-19 shut down gyms, the trainers helped the study participants keep moving at home by video calls. After a year, testing of mental activity showed neither group had worsened, said lead researcher Laura Baker of Wake Forest School of Medicine in the state of North Carolina. Brain scans did not show the shrinkage that often goes with worsening memory problems, she said. By comparison, similar MCI patients in another long-term study of brain health but without exercise experienced cognitive, or mental, decline over a year. The early findings are surprising. But the National Institute on Aging cautioned that tracking non-exercisers in the same study would have offered better evidence. The results suggest this is doable for everybody not just seniors healthy enough to work up a hard sweat, said Baker. She presented the data recently at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference. Exercise needs to be part of the prevention strategies for at-risk seniors, she added.
Title: Simple Exercise Can Slow Memory Loss
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5625/A17.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Simple Exercise Can Slow Memory Loss' data-article-id='6196'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='13167'>New research suggests that even a simple exercise program might help older people with light, or mild, memory problems.</span> <span data-start-time='13167' data-end-time='22229'>Doctors have long advised patients to do physical activity to help keep their brains healthy. </span> <span data-start-time='22229' data-end-time='35542'>But the U.S. government-supported research marks the longest study of whether exercise makes any difference once memory starts to decline.</span> <span data-start-time='35542' data-end-time='46917'>Researchers found around 300 inactive older adults with memory changes called mild cognitive impairment (MCI). </span> <span data-start-time='46917' data-end-time='53500'>MCI is a condition that sometimes comes before Alzheimer’s disease.</span> <span data-start-time='53500' data-end-time='63813'>Half of the older adults did aerobic exercises, and the rest did stretching and balance movements that raised their heart rates a little.</span> <span data-start-time='63813' data-end-time='75688'>People in both groups got attention from trainers who worked with them at youth organization centers called YMCAs around the United States. </span> <span data-start-time='75688' data-end-time='84604'>When COVID-19 shut down gyms, the trainers helped the study participants keep moving at home by video calls.</span> <span data-start-time='84604' data-end-time='100083'>After a year, testing of mental activity showed neither group had worsened, said lead researcher Laura Baker of Wake Forest School of Medicine in the state of North Carolina. </span> <span data-start-time='100083' data-end-time='108125'>Brain scans did not show the shrinkage that often goes with worsening memory problems, she said.</span> <span data-start-time='108125' data-end-time='123521'>By comparison, similar MCI patients in another long-term study of brain health but without exercise experienced cognitive, or mental, decline over a year.</span> <span data-start-time='123521' data-end-time='126146'>The early findings are surprising. </span> <span data-start-time='126146' data-end-time='137063'>But the National Institute on Aging cautioned that tracking non-exercisers in the same study would have offered better evidence.</span> <span data-start-time='137063' data-end-time='148521'>The results suggest this is doable for everybody not just seniors healthy enough to work up a hard sweat, said Baker. </span> <span data-start-time='148521' data-end-time='156771'>She presented the data recently at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference.</span> <span data-start-time='156771' data-end-time='164813'>Exercise needs to be part of the prevention strategies for at-risk seniors, she added.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5625/A17.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=18824 data-hint-location='53500' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5625/which_of_the_following_is_a_definition_of_the_word_aerobic.wav'>Which of the following is a definition of the word aerobic?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='strengthening the heart and lungs by making them work hard for several minutes or more'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5625/strengthening_the_heart_and_lungs_by_making_them_work_hard_for_several_minutes_or_more.wav'><span>strengthening the heart and lungs by making them work hard for several minutes or more</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5625/existing_happening_or_operating_in_the_air.wav'><span>existing, happening, or operating in the air</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5625/covered_with_hair_especially_thick_or_long_hair.wav'><span>covered with hair, especially thick or long hair</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5625/a_small_imaginary_being_of_human_form_that_has_magical_powers.wav'><span>a small imaginary being of human form that has magical powers</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=18825 data-hint-location='35542' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5625/roughly_how_many_people_were_included_in_the_study.wav'>Roughly how many people were included in the study?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='three hundred'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5625/three_hundred.wav'><span>three hundred</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5625/three_thousand.wav'><span>three thousand</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5625/thirty.wav'><span>thirty</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5625/three.wav'><span>three</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=18826 data-hint-location='100083' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5625/brain__blank__did_not_show_the_shrinkage_that_often_goes_with_worsening_memory_problems_she_said.wav'>Brain <span class='blank'>scans</span> did not show the shrinkage that often goes with worsening memory problems, she said.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='scans'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5625/scans.wav'><span>scans</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5625/songs.wav'><span>songs</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5625/stars.wav'><span>stars</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5625/stands.wav'><span>stands</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
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