A systematic meta-analysis showed that for adults with mild cognitive impairment, exercise had a significant beneficial effect on memory. Adults with mild cognitive impairment have a considerably increased risk of progressing to dementia, and this specific risk is increased by atrophy of the hippocampus. Physical activity may be just as effective as pharmaceutical agents in improving and maintaining memory, as well as global cognition, and delaying the onset of dementia and other neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.
