However, a new study shows a simple change in how you walk may reduce your dementia risk by 50%—and it has nothing to do with walking 10,000 steps per day or for 15 minutes after every meal. The study published in Neurology on July 14 analyzed data from seven studies. Five were aging studies from the Health and Retirement Study International Network of Studies (HRS-INS) that involved approximately 4,000 older adults with an average age of about 84. The other two were smaller studies (the LonGenity Study and RUSH Memory Aging Project (RUSH MAP)) of adults ages 80 and older. Staying physically active and maintaining mobility should be viewed as an important part of brain health, adds Dr. Verghese.