Preliminary evidence derived from two new studies suggests that exercise may play a role in helping individuals to protect themselves against dementia, especially exercising during midlife.

Dr. Yonas Geda of the Mayo Clinic, where both studies were conducted, said in a statement for the Alzheimer’s Association, “In our studies, we found that physical exercise at various levels, especially in midlife, is beneficial for cognitive function.”

Exercise has been thought to be part of an important lifestyle habit meant to protect the aging brain. Other habits include eating healthy, staying socially active and practicing mentally stimulating activities on a daily basis. Scientists have not yet been able to conclusively link these factors to brain health in old age. The two new studies do not provide conclusive evidence and have yet to be peer reviewed or published in any journals. However, they do provide more evidence that the two factors, exercise and brain health, are related in some way and they provide an indication that activity in middle age is instrumental in protecting against cognitive decline.

Both studies followed elderly patients for a number of years, first taking life histories which included their activity levels before following the participants for a number of years to measure their cognitive performances over time. One study followed 280 elderly people who had been diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment. The other study followed 1,830 elderly people without any cognitive impairment. Both groups were followed for about three years.

The results from the smaller subject pool seemed to show that moderate physical activity in middle age had the most protective power against the development of dementia in later stages of life. The results from the larger subject pool were similar but showed that light and intense activity levels in midlife could protect against dementia.

The studies were presented in Copenhagen, Denmark at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference, and are awaiting peer-reviewed publication.