protects brain

Jogging, swimming, biking or other moderate to intense physical activity protects the brain from silent strokes that can lead to mental decline.
These silent strokes are more significant because they have been associated with high risk of falls and impaired mobility, memory problems and even dementia, as well as stroke, BBC Website reported.
Encouraging older people to take part in moderate to intense exercise may be an important strategy for keeping their brains healthy.
Researchers from Melbourne University, Australia compiled information on the exercise habits of 1,238 people who had never had a stroke. About 43 per cent said they did no regular exercise, 36 per cent did light physical activity, such as playing golf or walking, and 21 percent said they did moderate to intense exercise, such as playing tennis, swimming, racquetball, hiking or jogging on a regular basis.
About six years later, researchers scanned the brains of the participants, who by then averaged 70 years old. The scans revealed that 16 per cent had experienced silent strokes.
It was found that those who reported engaging in moderate to intense activity were 40 per cent less likely to have developed these small brain lesions than their sedentary counterparts.