Researchers are prescribing exercise as if it were a drug in a study that aims to see if it can prevent Alzheimer's disease.
"We are testing if exercise is medicine for people with a mild memory problem," says Laura Baker, principal investigator of the nationwide  EXERT study and associate director of the Alzheimer's Disease Research Center at Wake Forest School of Medicine.
The study, funded by the National Institute on Aging, could help determine whether exercise can protect people from the memory and thinking problems associated with Alzheimer's.
"The evidence in science has been building for the last 20 years to suggest that exercise at the right intensity could protect brain health as we age," Baker says.
But much of that evidence has come from studies that were small, ran for only a few months or relied on people's own estimates of how much they exercised.
The EXERT study is different. It's taking 300 people at high risk for Alzheimer's and randomly assigning them to one of two groups for 18 months.
Half the participants do aerobic exercise, like running on a treadmill. The other half do stretching and flexibility exercises for comparison.
 

Being active can help people with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementia (ADRD) feel better, move better and sleep better. Experts now say that any physical activity counts toward better health — even just a few minutes! Regular physical activity helps those with ADRD develop better strength, balance, walking speed and endurance. It also reduces physical decline and preserves day-to-day function, including sleeping habits. When people with ADRD become active, safety is a priority. Caregivers and health professionals should always exercise with the person with ADRD. That way, both will reap the health benefits of being active!

Is someone in your life affected by Alzheimer's disease or related dementia? Learn more about how to help them stay active to preserve strength and stamina: HERE