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How many steps to walk for minimum brain health decline, according to new study

A new study suggests that walking’s potential benefits in slowing cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s may begin well below 10,000 steps a day

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Sports therapist Gill Stewart walks with her dog Bessie. Walking - and physical activity in general - slows the accumulation in the brain of tau, a protein closely tied to the memory decline seen in Alzheimer’s. Photo: Gill Stewart
Anthea Rowan
This is the 77th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope.

Thousands of scientific studies confirm the benefits of walking, one of the most extensively researched forms of physical activity due to its accessibility and broad health impacts.

We know it is good for us: the contemporary puzzle is how, and how much, walking is best.

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New research shows that we do not need to take as many steps as previously thought to reap significant rewards.

Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard University in the US recently collaborated on a study to explore how many steps made a difference to brain health.
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Dr Wendy Yau Wai-ying and Dr Jasmeer Chhatwal examined older adults who had normal cognitive function, but whose brains contained varying levels of amyloid – a protein build-up considered the earliest hallmark of Alzheimer’s.

Amyloid is the first protein to accumulate, but tau is the protein more closely tied to the actual memory decline seen in Alzheimer’s. Tau spread and memory-related cognitive decline generally occur only when amyloid is already present.

SCMP Series
Decoding dementia
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