Get active as you age--or risk losing mental function

Activity seems to be very closely related to how well you maintain your mental functioning as you age, says a study reported in today's Neurology, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology. Based on a 10-year study of 290 participants, all men between the ages of 70 and 90 in 1990.

Activity of all kinds counts--walking, biking, hobbies, gardening, odd jobs and playing sports--so you don't have to become a marathon runner to get the benefits of physical activity. Will be interesting to see if they can replicate the results when they decide to put together a similar study that includes women...