{"id":738859,"date":"2026-07-02T12:09:10","date_gmt":"2026-07-02T12:09:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/738859\/"},"modified":"2026-07-02T12:09:10","modified_gmt":"2026-07-02T12:09:10","slug":"super-movers-have-lower-risk-of-brain-decline-in-80s","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/738859\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Super movers\u2019 have lower risk of brain decline in 80s"},"content":{"rendered":"

Move over, Batman.<\/p>\n

A new group of \u201csuperhumans\u201d has emerged \u2014 and they\u2019re all 80-plus.<\/p>\n

A study published in Neurology<\/a> has identified a rare group of older adults called \u201csuper movers\u201d who appear to have a remarkable advantage: a significantly lower risk of cognitive decline, even when their brains show the same Alzheimer-related changes seen in others their age.<\/p>\n

Researchers describe the group as having a \u201cnovel exceptional aging phenotype\u201d \u2014 a biological profile that may reveal important clues about how some people maintain brain health despite effects of aging.<\/p>\n

\"DoctorA rare group, super movers are those whose usual walking speed is exceptionally fast for their age. Nadzeya \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

The ability is surprisingly simple: walking speed.<\/p>\n

Only about 6 to 10% of adults qualify as super movers. These people walk faster than average for their age and sex, typically at a speed of someone about 30 years younger.<\/p>\n

Previous research has found they tend to have fewer chronic medical conditions, healthier lifestyles, less depression and a younger biological age compared with their peers.<\/p>\n

But the latest study went further, examining whether that physical advantage translated into stronger cognitive health. <\/p>\n

Researchers analyzed nearly 4,000 adults from the Health and Retirement Study network over several years, tracking participants to see whether super movers experienced less cognitive decline over time.<\/p>\n

The results were striking: Super movers had better cognitive function than others of the same age and sex. The researchers also found fewer new diagnoses of Alzheimer\u2019s disease or dementia among the group \u2014 even though they had similar levels of dementia-related brain changes. <\/p>\n

That was one of the most intriguing findings, according to lead author Dr. Joe Verghese<\/a>, MD, Chair and Professor of Neurology at the Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that allow them to maintain cognitive function even in the presence of age-related brain changes,\u201d he told The Post. \u201cUnderstanding these resilience factors could help us develop new strategies to promote healthy brain aging.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"AThe biggest takeaway? Mobility and brain health are deeply interconnected. Seventyfour \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n

While more research is needed, he pointed to one conclusion: \u201cThe biggest takeaway is that mobility and brain health are deeply interconnected.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Alexander Mauskop, MD, founder of NY Headache Center and a professor of clinical neurology at SUNY Downstate, wrote in a blog post<\/a> that the study also carries important implications for aging, gait, headaches and migraines. <\/p>\n

The \u201csuper mover\u201d profile likely reflects decades of better vascular health, regular exercise, and other protective lifestyle factors \u2014 many of the same factors recommended for migraine control and stroke prevention.<\/p>\n

Mauskop noted that the findings offer doctors another way to frame those recommendations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWalking regularly, maintaining strength and balance, and protecting gait speed into late life can be presented not only as good for the heart and for migraine, but also as a strategy to support cognitive resilience,\u201d he wrote.<\/p>\n

But should older adults increase their daily steps in hopes of protecting their brains? <\/p>\n

Verghese cautioned that the study cannot establish cause and effect. He believes faster walking may be both a sign of a healthier brain and a factor that helps preserve it.<\/p>\n

\u201cWalking speed reflects the integrated health of multiple organ systems, including the brain, muscles, heart, metabolism, and nervous system,\u201d he explained. <\/p>\n

\u201cAt the same time, regular physical activity may help preserve brain health through improved cardiovascular fitness, reduced inflammation, and other biological mechanisms.\u201d <\/p>\n

For older adults looking to safely improve walking speed, Verghese recommended starting slow.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe practical message is that maintaining mobility is an important part of healthy aging,\u201d he said. \u201cWhile our study cannot show that simply walking faster prevents cognitive decline, people can safely improve their walking speed through training, ideally building up gradually and seeking medical guidance if they have significant health concerns.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Move over, Batman. A new group of \u201csuperhumans\u201d has emerged \u2014 and they\u2019re all 80-plus. A study published…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":738860,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[1103,186,337,97,3284,15760,7394,673],"class_list":["post-738859","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-health","tag-dementia","tag-exclusive","tag-fitness","tag-health","tag-study-says","tag-walking","tag-weightlifting","tag-wellness"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/738859","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=738859"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/738859\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/738860"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=738859"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=738859"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=738859"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}