Being physically fit helps older women stay on top of their mental game, an Alberta study suggests.

In an upcoming issue of the journal Neurobiology of Aging, Marc Poulin of the faculties of medicine and kinesiology at the University of Calgary and his colleagues said they found a clear relationship between physical fitness and cognitive function in 42 healthy women with an average age of 65.

Compared to the sedentary group, those who participated in regular aerobic activity:

• Had resting blood pressure that was 10 per cent lower.
• Showed five per cent better blood flow in their brains when exercising.
• Scored 10 per cent higher on cognitive skill tests, such as memory, speed of thinking and ability to multi-task.

"Being sedentary is now considered a risk factor for stroke and dementia," said principal investigator Marc Poulin, a physiologist at the University of Calgary.

"This study proves for the first time that people who are fit have better blood flow to their brain. Our findings also show that better blood flow translates into improved cognition."

The implications are "huge" given the aging population of baby boomers, and the number of age-related diseases that affect the brain, such as Alzheimer's, stroke and dementia, Poulin said.

"Our results point to a simple intervention — exercise — to delay the onset of age-related brain afflictions."

Exercise 'lifts your spirit,' says 91-year-old

Study participant Merceda Schmidt of Calgary is a 91-year-old who walks six kilometres a day. Schmidt, a retired kindergarten teacher who still volunteers at a preschool, said knowing there is a relationship between moving and her mind encourages her to keep her legs going.

"If I want to live a happy end of my life, the golden age, I have to work at it," said Schmidt. "It isn't really work. You enjoy it, it lifts your spirit."

Another study participant, Myrna McRoberts, also looks much younger than her age of 67. McRoberts participates in exercise programs several times a week, cross-country skis in the winter and bicycles in the summer.

"I don't have aches and pains, I just feel really wonderful," said McRoberts. "I walk a lot of hills. You don't have to do things well, just do them."

In the study, researchers tested the women's oxygen intake as they exercised on a stationary bicycle.

On a later day, the subjects' blood vessel capacity was measured as they breathed elevated levels of carbon dioxide while at rest — a test to assess how well blood vessels in the brain respond to increased demand, Poulin said.

The research was funded by the:

• Alberta Heritage Foundation for Medical Research.
• Heart and Stroke Foundation of Alberta, NWT & Nunavut.
• Canadian Foundation for Innovation.
• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.
• Calgary Health Region.
• Glaxo-Smith-Kline-CIHR.
• Strafford Foundation.

With files from Canadian Press