Want to boost your mental acuity? Get moving and eat your vegetables.

Here’s yet another study that says we can increase our mental sharpness by walking or riding a stationary bike three times a week for six months and going on the DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diet. This Duke University study has an interesting result, however: It concluded that we can shave nine years off our brain age.

The study looked at seniors who had mild cognitive impairment and assigned them one of four combinations of activities: the walking/bike exercise, a DASH diet or both. A fourth choice was health education alone. The first three months were spent doing exercise under the supervision of the research facility. Later the participants were released to exercise on their own.

Specifically, the seniors were asked to ride a stationary bike or walk for 35 minutes three times a week following a 10-minute warm up. The DASH diet, for those who were assigned, promotes healthy grains, low sodium, reduced dairy and meat -- the standard healthy diet for those with high blood pressure. (See MayoClinic.org for more information.) There was no push to intensify the rate of exercise (participants were told to aim for 70 percent maximum heart rate), but the exercise intensified over time as participants became more fit.

The results: Those with the best improvements had been assigned the walking/bike exercise as well as the DASH diet. They benefited by being more organized, achieving goals and regulating behavior. Even those who only exercised saw significant improvement. Researchers believe this was because of increased oxygen to the brain.

If you want to go on the same program, talk to your doctor and get advice, especially about the intensity rate of exercise. If you’re concerned about your balance on a stationary bike, ask about the benefits of a rowing machine instead.

(c) 2019 King Features Synd., Inc.