Good news about your Alzheimer’s risk

A huge US study of almost 650,000 people has revealed the fitter you are, the less chance you have of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

Military veterans with an average age of 61 were split into five levels of fitness. Researchers found the higher the fitness level of the group, the lower the number of positive diagnoses over an average of nine years. In fact, those in the fittest group were 33% less likely to suffer from Alzheimer’s disease than those in the least fit group. And the really great news for those tackling #walk1000miles? The scientists concluded that as a middle-aged person you can achieve the highest level of fitness on their test by walking briskly for at least 2½ hours per week – something easily surpassed by those doing this challenge.