雙語:步行也是一種大腦運動
I am often teased for my stubborn habit of traveling by foot. I often walk the 3 mi. home from work rather than take the subway. When I visit less pedestrian-friendly cities, kindhearted Motorists regularly pull over and offer me a ride, assuming that my car has broken down or I'm in need of some help.
我時常因爲我喜歡步行的頑固習慣而被嘲笑。我常常從家步行三英里去上班而不是搭乘地鐵。而當我在一個不太適合步行的城市時，總會有好心的司機以爲我的車壞了或者需要幫助，於是停靠過來載我一程。
But for me, walking is a good opportunity to process the day and let my mind wander without the oppression of the endless to-do list that awaits me at home. Plus, it helps my back recover from a day spent bent in front of a computer screen. Health-wise, I have always assumed I'd have the last laugh, and now there's even more evidence on my side. (More on : TIME's Health Checkup tells you how to live 100 years).
但是對於我而言，步行是一個很好的機會來整理一天，能讓我的思維清閒的漫步，暫時遠離家中無盡的等待我去做的事情。此外，它還能幫助我恢復一整天彎腰面對電腦後的背部疲勞。在健康方面，我總是認爲應該擁有最終的微笑，而現在越來越多的事實證明我是正確的。
Nine years later, the walkers underwent brain scans, which revealed that those who had walked more had greater brain volume than those who walked less. Four years after that, the volunteers were tested again — this time for dementia. Among the group, 116 people showed signs of memory loss or dementia. Those who had walked the most — at least 72 city blocks (or about 7 mi.) each week — were half as likely to have cognitive problems as those who walked the least.
九年後，通過腦部掃描發現，步行多的參與者比步行少者有更高的腦容量。又過了4年，再次對這些志願者進行癡呆測試，發現所有參與者中有116人有記憶力喪失或者癡呆的跡象。而那些每週步行最多的參與者——最少72城區（或者7英里左右）每週——比起最少步行者，擁有認知問題的人數要少一半。
A study published in Neurology has found that the simple act of walking may improve memory in old age. As we age, our brains shrink and the shrinkage is associated with dementia and loss of cognitive functions such as memory. To test whether physical activity could mitigate some of these degenerative effects, researchers from the University of Pittsburgh tracked the physical activity of 299 healthy men and women with an average age of 78. The participants' activity ranged anywhere from walking 0 blocks to 300 blocks (up to 30 miles) per week.
一個來自神經學的研究表明，步行這樣的簡單行爲可能增強老年人的記憶。當我們變老時，我們的大腦會萎縮，而這種萎縮會帶來癡呆和認知能力的喪失，例如記憶。爲了測試身體活動是否會減輕某些衰退現象，匹茲堡大學的研究人員跟蹤觀察了299名平均年齡在78歲的健康男女的身體活動。自願參加調查者的活動範圍爲步行0街區到300街區（最多30英里）每週。
The findings are in line with past studies linking physical activity with brain function, but dementia experts say there's not enough data yet to prescribe exercise to prevent memory loss. It's also too soon to say whether exercise may prevent dementia or simply delay it in people who would eventually develop it anyway. But when it comes to Alzheimer's, even a short delay could mean great gains in quality of life. MSNBC reports:
這個發現與早先的一些身體活動和腦功能之間關聯的研究是一致的，但是癡呆專家認爲現在還沒有足夠的資料說明可以通過指導運動來阻止記憶的衰退。同時，現在就斷定對於最終會罹患癡呆的人，運動是否能起到阻止或者單純的延緩作用，還爲時過早。但是，對於老年癡呆症， 哪怕是一個很小的延緩也意味着生活質量的巨大提高。MSNBC報道說：
"Even if we are delaying [Alzheimer's disease] by several months or years, that's a significant improvement in what we know already, and a change in costs for treating health care," [study author Kirk] Erickson said. Delaying the condition could also ease the emotional burden and problems that come along with it, for both patients and their families, he said.
”即使我們只能延遲老年癡呆症幾個月或者幾年，都是在我們現有基礎上的一個明顯的進步，也是對於治療健康問題所需花費的一個改變。“[研究作者Kirk]Erickson 這樣說道。他同時指出，延遲這種狀況也可以減輕患者和其家人的情緒負擔以及由此引發的一系列問題。
