RUNNING AND WALKING FOR YOUR HEALTH

I never really exercised until May 2003. Although I swam competitively as a child, I always felt pretty clumsy and, well, uncoordinated. This coupled with my "social calendar" caused me to rarely engage in daily exercise. I also had the benefit of fairly good genes so I always maintained a nice body weight and could easily fit into my size 4 jeans.

That was until my first pregnancy in which I gained about 40 pounds. Losing the baby weight was a struggle, until I started to run. Since then, I have ramped up my running. I became a part of a great running group, ran in several half-marathons and completed the Chicago Marathon in October 2006. On Saturdays, our running group runs a nice 10 1/2 mile loop along the water in Juno Beach, Florida. During the week we run on bridges, along trails and at a high school track for a tough speed workout.

And I have never felt better mentally.

I tell this story because the medical journal Neurology published a finding last week demonstrating that exercise may prevent serious diseases associated with aging, including Alzheimer's. Monitoring the exercise habits of 749 men and women over a four year period, participants who had the highest level of walking were found to have a 27 percent "lower risk for developing vascular dementia than those people who walked the least."

A 2004 study published in the American Journal of Epidemiology similiarly showed that regular physical activity may actually lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease. During the five-year study, Canadian researchers followed more than 4,600 people age 65 and older. At the start of the study, participants did not suffer from Alzheimer’s disease or any other cognitive impairments. Results showed that regular physical activity lowered the risk of Alzheimer’s disease by as much as 30 percent.

These studies have sparked a sharp debate regarding the ability to control and/or prevent debilitating diseases such as Alzheimer's through good diet and daily exercise. Science has not identified the primary root for Alzheimer's and I agree, we cannot place false hope that a balanced diet and exercise will shield us from the ravages of the disease as we age.

As researchers continue their work in studying and understanding Alzheimer's, the best we can do is resolve to maintain a healthy lifestyle. So in this New Year, go for a run. Take a walk with your kids. Join a gym. And enjoy the immediate benefits no matter what may happen in the long run!