Two new studies have been able to reveal that exercise can help prevent marginal cognitive impairment, and might even end up improving the same.

Researchers discovered that people, who indulged in moderate physical activity in mid-life or during later years, end up cutting their risk of developing mild cognitive impairment, and 6 months of high-intensity aerobic exercise manages to effectively improve cognitive function in people who have marginal cognitive impairment.

While the first study was conducted in 1,324 dementia-free people who voluntarily took part in the Mayo Clinic Study of Aging, the second study took into consideration 33 adults, all over the age of 70 and with mild cognitive impairment. In both the studies, subjects were required to undertake some amount of physical exercise every day, and conclusions were drawn after analysis of the data collected.

"Aerobic exercise is a cost-effective practice that is associated with numerous physical benefits. The results of this study suggest that exercise also provides a cognitive benefit for some adults with mild cognitive impairment", noted lead researcher Laura D. Baker.

Both the studies have been published in the January issue of the Archives of Neurology.