A recent study revealed that walking just 5,000 steps a day may assist in protecting the brain from Alzheimer’s disease.
For the study, researchers followed up to nearly 300 older adults for nearly 14 years and discovered that people with increased levels of beta-amyloid—an early marker of Alzheimer’s, faced cognitive decline if they were physically active.
The study, published Nov. 3 in Nature Medicine, also found that exercise did not reduce beta-amyloid buildup but was linked to slower growth of tau, another toxic protein thought to directly damage brain cells.
Even low to moderate activity made a significant difference. Adults walking 5,000 to 7,500 steps daily saw their cognitive skills decline at half the rate of mostly inactive participants.
Walking over this did not provide additional benefit, suggesting that completing 10,000 steps isn’t important to protect the brain.
Study author of Mass General Brigham Dr. Wendy Yau stated, “We can’t underestimate the value of lifestyle factors that people can implement on their own to protect brain health.”
A recent data suggested up to seven million Americans are currently suffering from Alzheimer’s, a number expected to double by 2060.
Several effective drugs such as Kisunla and Leqembi can slow down the progression rate, though physical activity remains a key modifiable factor.
It is important to note the study was observational and cannot prove that walking directly prevents Alzheimer’s, it adds to increasing evidence that regular movement can assist support cognitive health and slow early brain changes linked to the disease.
