Regular Exercise Appears to Slow Cognitive Decline in MCI
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Regular exercise, regardless of intensity level, appears to slow cognitive decline in sedentary older adults with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), new research from the largest study of its kind suggests. Topline results from the EXERT trial showed patients with MCI who participated regularly in either aerobic exercise or stretching/balance/range-of-motion exercises maintained stable global cognitive function over 12 months of follow-up — with no differences between the two types of exercise.
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@somraj Investigators enrolled 296 sedentary men and women with MCI (mean age, about 75 years). All were randomly allocated to either an aerobic exercise group (maintaining a heart rate at about 70% to 85%) or a stretching and balance group (maintaining heart rate < 35%). Both groups exercised four times a week for about 30 to 40 minutes. In the first 12 months they were supervised by a trainer at the YMCA and then they exercised independently for the final 6 months.