Walking may help you keep your memory intact, new research revealed. Regular walkers who logged about 2 miles per day had much lower rates of dementia -- an age-related kind of cognitive decline -- than the people who walked less than that or not at all. In addition to mental health benefits, walking also boosts cardiovascular health.

Mounting evidence suggests that walking, or any other kind of exercise, benefits the mind as much as the body. Two new studies report that older people who walk regularly experience lower rates of dementia compared to those who walk only a little or not at all. In one study, women between the ages of 70 and 81 who walked at least 1.5 hours each week did better on mental function tests than those who walked 40 minutes or less per week. In another study of men aged 71 to 93 years old, those who walked about 2 miles per day were 80% less likely to develop dementia than those who walked less than one quarter of a mile per day. Other ways to protect your health and mental function include eating a healthful diet that includes omega-3 fatty acids from fish, nuts, and olive oil and staying mentally active by reading, learning a new language, and playing word games, such as crossword puzzles.