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Nov. 17, 2025—There's good news for people who are in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. Taking regular walks could help slow down their disease, a study in the journal Nature has found.

Over a 14-year period, researchers followed nearly 300 older adults who did not have memory or thinking problems at the start of the study. The researchers tested their cognitive skills regularly throughout the study. They also used PET scans to check participants' brains for proteins called beta-amyloid and tau, which are linked to Alzheimer's. Step counters were used to gauge walking.

People in the study were split into four groups based on their daily steps: inactive (3,000 or fewer steps), low activity (3,001 to 5,000 steps), moderate activity (5,001 to 7,500 steps) and active (7,501 or more steps).

Among the key findings for people with higher beta-amyloid levels? Compared to inactive people, they had:

• A 34% slower rate of cognitive decline if they walked just 3,001 to 5,000 steps per day.
• A 45% slower rate of cognitive decline if they walked 5,001 to 7,500 steps per day.
• A 51% slower rate of cognitive decline if they walked 7,501 steps or more per day.

The delay in cognitive decline seemed to plateau between 5,001 and 7,500 daily steps. This suggests that just a moderate amount of walking might help delay Alzheimer's. And that could be a more doable goal for older adults, researchers noted.

In addition, the PET scans suggested that the delay in memory and thinking decline was linked to slower tau buildup—not beta-amyloid buildup. Researchers hypothesize that this means exercise could be used alone or paired with current drugs that target beta-amyloid to help slow Alzheimer's disease in its early stages.

Moving boosts your body and your brain

Exercising isn't just good for people who have Alzheimer's. It's one of the key ways all people can keep their brains—and bodies—healthy and sharp.

Being active helps protect the brain in a variety of ways, the Alzheimer's Association notes. For starters, regular exercise increases blood flow to the brain and improves nerve cell connections. And it can help people manage risk factors, such as high blood pressure, that can negatively affect the brain.

Discover more ways walking can improve your health.

Sources

• AARP. "Lifestyle Changes Improved Cognition in Older Adults at Risk for Dementia." https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-treatments/diet-exercise-brain-training-improve-cognition.
• Alzheimer's Association. "Get Moving." https://alz.org/help-support/brain_health/get-moving.
• American Hospital Association. "Study Finds 5,000 Steps per Day Could Slow Cognitive Decline for Individuals With Signs of Alzheimer's." https://www.aha.org/news/headline/2025-11-04-study-finds-5000-steps-day-could-slow-cognitive-decline-individuals-signs-alzheimers.
• Nature. "Physical Activity as a Modifiable Risk Factor in Preclinical Alzheimer's Disease." https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03955-6.