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This may seem as no surprise at first glance; however, the difference is this time around University of Florida researchers actually monitored and collected activity data. In a news report released by University of Florida News, this new research improves on previous studies by recording the actual energy expended, as well as monitoring the consumption of oxygen molecules in almost 200 people of average age to 75. 

This is a major improvement from previous methods which relied on a self reporting technique in which researchers simply asked how much activity a person had on a daily basis. The method was prone to error because people may forget some of the activities that they had participated in, or exaggerated how much activity they have in a day. It also tended to be more sports related activity and less walking around the house and other common day to day activities; even small daily chores add up on the energy consumption chart and help in fighting off the decline of cognitive abilities.

This research along with others shows that physical activity could not only prevent, but also possibly treat cognitive impairment. The link between the two was found to be stronger with this scientifically collected data than it was with the self-report data collected previously, which just goes to show that you should never skimp out on the science.

Sources: [University of Florida News  | Archives of Internal Medicine (full report)]
Image Source: [Beth's Brain Injury Blog]