Baby Boomers and cognitive decline - not a pretty picture in the US

An article paints a disturbing picture about cognitive decline among Baby Boomers in the US. It's one thing to acknowledge that cognitive decline can happen as one ages. However, it is happening at higher rates among Baby Boomers than in previous generations. And Boomers aren't alone.

The point of it all: "The findings not only suggest that boomers will be more likely to develop conditions like dementia than past cohorts, but future aging generations may be at a similar heightened risk."

Key points:

1. "While each generation before the boomers had improved later-life cognition compared to the one before it, the boomers showed a decline compared to war babies, breaking the pattern of improvement."
2. "...this decline is seen in all groups: men and women, across all races and ethnicities and across all education, income and wealth levels.”
3. "...the decline started becoming apparent by the time baby boomers were still middle-aged."

The article did not specify the cause but speculated on different factors that might contribute to the trend, very few of which seem compelling because of the broad scope of the trend. Factors mentioned included:

• Lower wealth
• Lower likelihood of being married
• Higher levels of loneliness and depression
• Higher level of cardiovascular risk factors (e.g., obesity, physical inactivity, hypertension, diabetes, strokes, heart disease)
• Lack of universal, affordable health care

Since the trend is see across all groups and levels (see #2 above), no one factor seems to stand out as a possible cause.

While we're waiting on further information, here are some Nordic walking-related links that can give us some preventive advice:

• "Involvement in Nordic Walking training, supported by vitamin D supplementation, can strengthen the cognitive functioning of older people—reflected in higher attentional capabilities, better executive functions, and improved cognitive processing speed." 
• "...regular NW training resulted in improvement of cognitive functions in aged women...it was not the level vitamin D that modulated exercise-induced changes, but rather the long-lasting experience and being more advanced in training."

What else can you do?

• Follow Nordic Walking Guy's first rule, "Walk with purpose." A brisk pace will elevate heart rate and oxygen intake.
• Follow Nordic Walking Guy's second rule, "Be consistent." Make sure to exercise at a moderate intensity 3 or more days each week.
• Follow Nordic Walking Guy's third rule, "Don't eat like a teenager." Nutrients do have an impact on brain health.
• Walk with others. Social interaction can help you defend against cognitive decline.

Have fun sharing your Nordic walking experiences in Nordic Walking Groups on Facebook. We have a global membership, and we enjoy hearing about people's Nordic walking experiences around the world.