Hour a week exercise can keep you sharp

♦ Exercising for a little over an hour a week can help slow down old age mental decline, research has found.

The equivalent of 17 minutes a day – even if performing a small amount of physical activity such as walking – can boost brain function and speed up processing speeds.

A study of 11,000 participants found that aerobic exercise such as walking, cycling and dancing, strength training, mind body exercise such as yoga and tai chi and combinations of them all worked. Dr Joyce Gomes-osman, the study’s author, from the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Florida, said: “Not everyone has the endurance or motivation to start a moderately intense exercise programme.

“But everyone can benefit even from a less intense plan.”

The researchers found no link between the amount of exercise and improved memory skills.

The new research was published in the journal Neurolog y: Clinical Practice.