Dementia can be defined as gradual memory loss. People who have it begin having problems with reasoning and their ability to think. In addition to the memory, it can lead to a decline in the capacity to function physically. Although, there are various forms of dementia, Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type known to families around the world.
Researchers are always looking to find cures, but in the meantime, they are also developing better ways to diagnose dementia, and ways to determine if someone is likely to get it in the future. In this article, we will discuss how scientists are linking the way a person walks to determine if they might get a form of the disease later in life.
How Walking Can Predict Dementia
There have already been links made between heart disease and the way people walk, but it is now also thought that how fast you walk could help predict whether you have the potential to be a dementia victim. Apparently, slow walkers are more at risk than people who walk at a speedy pace.
Studies show that people as young as thirty may already show signs that dementia might be part of their future. Likewise, how strong their hand grip is could be a symptom of things to come.
The demise of the human brain doesn’t always occur in one simple, easy to observe manner. The reality is that there are many parts of the brain that influence different behaviors and thoughts. It seems that the speed people walk and how hard they can grip are controlled by a similar part of the brain as dementia.
However, much testing needs to be done before this assumption can be said to be 100% accurate. Other variables may need to be taken into consideration such as whether speed walking increases brain functioning to the extent where it could help fend off dementia, but walking slowly doesn’t do the trick.
Scientists have already discovered that exercise, including walking, is good for the brain. Studies involving rats showed that exercise enhanced rodent brain performance, as reflected in their ability to navigate mazes after being allowed to run on a wheel. It’s thought that the rats actually grew new brain cells.
The idea that the uncomplicated remedy for dementia could be to take a regular, fast-paced walk may seem too good to be true, but for some people at least, this might be the case. Research has revealed that elderly people, and even children, who walk between six and nine miles a week have larger brains and better memory than people who refrain from such exercise.
One way that walking can certainly be said to fend off dementia and other related illnesses is by increasing glucose and oxygen to the brain. Blood circulation to brain cells is usually reduced in the elderly, but walking can keep the circulatory system healthy, and this can have a beneficial secondary effect for brain functioning.
How Walking Can Predict Dementia – Conclusion
Results of studies so far only show that how you walk could be a predecessor to how well your brain functions when you are old. A fast walk could determine a healthy way to keep your brain mentally fit as you get older. It is possible that walking slowly is a symptom of your brain’s potential demise. Yet, it’s clear that regularly walking, whether quickly or slowly, is still a wise behavior that could help keep your brain working better for a longer period of time.
