Light, regular exercise in adults with Down syndrome can improve their cognitive as well as physical health, according to a study published in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.

The study is the first to investigate the effects of exercise in people with Down syndrome and finds that walking can lead to improved information processing and attention later from just eight weeks.

About one in a thousand children are born with Down syndromewhich is associated with a chromosomal change that leads to some degree of intellectual disability and delays in motor skills and speech development.

The survey involved 83 adults (40 women and 43 men) aged 18-48 from ten countries, who were followed in four groups for eight weeks. Participants in the exercise-only group walked three times a week for 30 minutes at a time. A second group participated in a series of cognitive exercises, while a third group did a combination of physical and cognitive exercises. The fourth group did neither. At the beginning and end of the eight-week period all participants underwent physical and cognitive assessments.

The positive effect of eight weeks of exercise on fitness was shown by the significant increase in total distance traveled in a six-minute walk test. Also, the researchers found through tests a significant reduction in errors and an increase in correct answers during a cognitive activity, both in the physical exercise group and in the group that combined physical and cognitive exercise. In another test that measures speed and accuracy in decision makingthe researchers observed significant improvement in the exercise group, the cognitive training group, and the combined activities group.

While walking is often a subconscious activity, researchers have observed that the activation of neural pathways through the process of walking leads to cognitive development, as requires people with Down syndrome to be more careful and pay attention to the activity at hand.

Associate Professor in Cardiorespiratory Exercise Physiology at Anglia Ruskin University and senior author of the study, Dan Gordon, says that “These findings are potentially huge for the Down syndrome community, particularly as walking is a free activity that most people can engage in. Improved cognitive function can lead to increased social inclusion and quality of life, which is important.”