The study looked at older adults who were concerned about memory loss. All were given weekly regimens of mental and physical exercise—either less intense (stretching and toning or watching educational DVDs) or more intense (aerobics and interactive computer games), or a combination. The surprising result was that everyone showed significant improvement in their memories after 12 weeks, regardless of their assigned regimen. “Our results suggest that the amount of activity may be more important than the type of activity,” says study author Deborah E. Barnes, MPH, PhD, associate professor at the University of California, San Francisco. The bottom line? It doesn’t matter what you do, just do it regularly. Whether it’s a yoga class or a hiking club doesn’t seem to make a difference in terms of staying mentally sharp. “The most important thing is to start being more active,” says Dr. Barnes. “The easiest way to do this is to find activities that you enjoy that stimulate your mind and your body and commit to doing them several times a week.” Click here to download FREE, fun brain-boosters! More from Prevention: The Best Exercise For Your Heart
