Relations Between Exercise Habit and Visual Attentional Ability in Older Adult Community Dwellers: Evidences From the Yakumo Study

Objective: The relation between mild everyday exercise and cognitive ability in healthy older people was examined using cohort study database. Methods: Individually calculated linear regression coefficients in digit cancelation task performances for 11 years age from 65 to 75 years were compared between mild exercise habit holders and non-holders. Results: Exercise habit holders showed significantly smaller age-related decline than non-holders, irrespective of task difficulty. Discussion: The results suggested that even mild exercise habit for long years possesses benefits on sustaining cognitive function in older people as well as the physical activities such as programmed in a sport gym. It also becomes clear that it is difficult for ordinary older adult to continue exercising habits for many years. Therefore, more substantial ways are required for local health officials to advertise the effectiveness of mild exercise habits and to devise the necessary work to become a habit.