Study finds 5,000 steps per day could slow cognitive decline for individuals with signs of Alzheimer’s

A study published today by Nature found that as many as 5,000 steps per day can slow cognitive decline for individuals with early signs of Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers followed nearly 300 adults with no cognitive impairment for up to 14 years, giving them cognitive assessments and brain scans during the study period for any signs of the disease. Researchers said individuals with more physical activity slowed accumulation of tau protein, thus slowing cognitive decline. The study found that the association between slower tau accumulation and cognitive decline plateaued between 5,001 and 7,500 steps per day.