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.

我时常因为我喜欢步行的顽固习惯而被嘲笑。我常常从家步行三英里去上班而不是搭乘地铁。而当我在一个不太适合步行的城市时，总会有好心的司机以为我的车坏了或者需要帮助，于是停靠过来载我一程。

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.com: TIME's Health Checkup tells you how to live 100 years).

但是对于我而言，步行是一个很好的机会来整理一天，能让我的思维清闲的漫步，暂时远离家中无尽的等待我去做的事情。此外，它还能帮助我恢复一整天弯腰面对电脑后的背部疲劳。在健康方面，我总是认为应该拥有最终的微笑，而现在越来越多的事实证明我是正确的。

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.

九年后，通过脑部扫描发现，步行多的参与者比步行少者有更高的脑容量。又过了4年，再次对这些志愿者进行痴呆测试，发现所有参与者中有116人有记忆力丧失或者痴呆的迹象。而那些每周步行最多的参与者——最少72城区（或者7英里左右）每周——比起最少步行者，拥有认知问题的人数要少一半。

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.

一个来自神经学的研究表明，步行这样的简单行为可能增强老年人的记忆。当我们变老时，我们的大脑会萎缩，而这种萎缩会带来痴呆和认知能力的丧失，例如记忆。为了测试身体活动是否会减轻某些衰退现象，匹兹堡大学的研究人员跟踪观察了299名平均年龄在78岁的健康男女的身体活动。自愿参加调查者的活动范围为步行0街区到300街区（最多30英里）每周。

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:

这个发现与早先的一些身体活动和脑功能之间关联的研究是一致的，但是痴呆专家认为现在还没有足够的资料说明可以通过指导运动来阻止记忆的衰退。同时，现在就断定对于最终会罹患痴呆的人，运动是否能起到阻止或者单纯的延缓作用，还为时过早。但是，对于老年痴呆症， 哪怕是一个很小的延缓也意味着生活质量的巨大提高。MSNBC报道说：

"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.

”即使我们只能延迟老年痴呆症几个月或者几年，都是在我们现有基础上的一个明显的进步，也是对于治疗健康问题所需花费的一个改变。“[研究作者Kirk]Erickson 这样说道。他同时指出，延迟这种状况也可以减轻患者和其家人的情绪负担以及由此引发的一系列问题。