For years, scientists have known that moving our bodies can sharpen our minds. Physical activity boosts blood flow to the brain , enhances neuroplasticity , and reduces chronic inflammation . These processes are believed to protect against cognitive decline , including dementia .

Yet despite decades of research, major questions have remained unresolved.

Does exercising at any age help reduce your risk of dementia? Or only when you're young? And what if you have a higher genetic risk – can exercising still make a difference?

New research from the long-running Framingham Heart Study in the United States, published today, offers some of the clearest answers to date. Their findings support what many clinicians already tell patients: exercise helps.

But the study also offers new

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