{"id":544475,"date":"2026-07-11T13:04:09","date_gmt":"2026-07-11T13:04:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/544475\/"},"modified":"2026-07-11T13:04:09","modified_gmt":"2026-07-11T13:04:09","slug":"neurologist-protect-your-brain-from-aging-with-super-mover-exercises","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/544475\/","title":{"rendered":"Neurologist: Protect Your Brain From Aging With Super Mover Exercises"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a neurologist, Dr. Joe Verghese is all about finding creative strategies for a healthier brain<\/a> \u2014 especially when it helps simplify his workout routine.<\/p>\n

“I don’t always enjoy exercising, or the idea that I have to do it regularly,” he told Business Insider.<\/p>\n

In pursuit of a healthier brain, he’s tried everything from balance tests<\/a> to ballroom dancing (after his studies found it may help stave off dementia).<\/p>\n

Now, the Stony Brook University researcher is aiming to become a “super mover,” a rare demographic of people 80 and older who have an exceptionally fast walking speed<\/a> for their age \u2014 and live uniquely long, healthy lives.<\/p>\n

According to his studies, persistent speediness may have a protective effect on the brain and body, Verghese said.<\/p>\n

By studying them, he hopes to learn not just how our bodies and minds deteriorate as we age, but what we can do about it.<\/p>\n

“Aspiring to be a fast mover, a super mover is a good thing because it has not only benefits for the brain, it has benefits for the rest of the body too,” he said.<\/p>\n

Move fast, slow aging<\/p>\n

Super movers are defined as people who can keep pace with someone decades younger, like an 80-year-old walking at the speed of an average 50-year-old, Verghese explained.<\/p>\n

His most recent study, published in the journal Neurology<\/a>, found that super movers are 50% less likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. Another of his studies found that super movers had a younger biological age than their years would suggest, and lower rates of heart disease, depression symptoms, and hearing loss.<\/p>\n

Brisk walking<\/a> has long been linked to longevity, so that wasn’t a surprise. What was intriguing, Verghese said, were the autopsy results of people who died during the study. After death, super movers were just as likely to show age-related wear and tear in their brain tissue as their slower-walking peers. On average, though, they showed fewer symptoms of cognitive decline during their lifetimes.<\/p>\n

\"two<\/p>\n

Super movers who keep walking fast in their 80s and beyond have better memory, mood, and cognitive health, research suggests.\u00a0<\/p>\n

SeventyFour\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Verghese was inspired to seek out super movers based on previous research on super-agers<\/a>, people who retain the physical and mental spryness of someone much younger, in part because of lucky genetics. And as with super movers, studies on super-agers’ brains have similar rates of deterioration on average, with fewer symptoms.<\/p>\n

However, only 19% of super movers are also super-agers. That suggests there may be multiple strategies to protect your brain from aging, Verghese said. More research could help provide personalized recommendations for an antiaging plan<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“You might have some unique resilience mechanisms that might prevent you from showing those effects,” he said.<\/p>\n

Power walking for a healthy brain<\/p>\n

Most importantly, you may not need to win the genetic lottery to be a super mover.<\/p>\n

Verghese found evidence that super movers were speedy before they reached age 80. While genetics likely play a role, getting comfortable with a brisk walking pace now will make you more likely to maintain it and become a super mover later, he said.<\/p>\n

To walk your way to longevity, your pace should be around 3 miles per hour, studies suggest, and faster may be better.<\/p>\n

Aim for at least 30 minutes a day, in line with the CDC’s recommended 150-300 minutes of moderate activity a week.<\/p>\n

“You don’t have to do the 30 minutes in one go. You can split it up. 10 minutes is better than zero minutes,” Verghese said.<\/p>\n

This article is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your qualified physician or healthcare provider.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As a neurologist, Dr. Joe Verghese is all about finding creative strategies for a healthier brain \u2014 especially…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":544476,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[103,61,60],"class_list":["post-544475","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-health","tag-ie","tag-ireland"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/544475","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=544475"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/544475\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/544476"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=544475"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=544475"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=544475"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}