<p>Living in a a neighbourhood that encourages walking could help the elderly stave off cognitive decline, says a new research.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Easy-to-walk communities result in better outcomes both for physical health - (such as lower body mass and blood pressure) - and cognition (such as better memory) in the elderly, the findings showed.<br /><br />"People can walk either to get somewhere or for leisure," said Amber Watts, assistant professor of clinical psychology at the University of Kansas in the US.<br /><br />The study involved 25 people with mild Alzheimer's disease and 39 older adults without cognitive impairment.<br /><br />Older adults, health care professionals, caregivers, architects and urban planners could benefit from the findings, the researcher noted.<br /><br />"Features of a neighbourhood that encourage walking for transportation require having someplace worth walking to, like neighbours' houses, stores and parks," Watts added.<br /><br />She said neighbourhoods that inspire walking for leisure also are full of pleasant things to look at, like walking trails or shade provided by trees.<br /><br />The findings were recently presented at the Gerontological Society of America's annual meeting in Washington, DC.<br /></p>
<p>Living in a a neighbourhood that encourages walking could help the elderly stave off cognitive decline, says a new research.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Easy-to-walk communities result in better outcomes both for physical health - (such as lower body mass and blood pressure) - and cognition (such as better memory) in the elderly, the findings showed.<br /><br />"People can walk either to get somewhere or for leisure," said Amber Watts, assistant professor of clinical psychology at the University of Kansas in the US.<br /><br />The study involved 25 people with mild Alzheimer's disease and 39 older adults without cognitive impairment.<br /><br />Older adults, health care professionals, caregivers, architects and urban planners could benefit from the findings, the researcher noted.<br /><br />"Features of a neighbourhood that encourage walking for transportation require having someplace worth walking to, like neighbours' houses, stores and parks," Watts added.<br /><br />She said neighbourhoods that inspire walking for leisure also are full of pleasant things to look at, like walking trails or shade provided by trees.<br /><br />The findings were recently presented at the Gerontological Society of America's annual meeting in Washington, DC.<br /></p>