Recent study says cycling could protect brain against dementia

(CNN, KYMA) - The next time you need to run some errands, you may want to consider hopping on a bike as a recent study suggests cycling could be good for your brain health.

Researchers studied years of data from nearly 480,000 people. They found those who cycled had a 19% lower risk of all-cause dementia, and a 22% lower risk of Alzheimer's disease.

That is compared those who with non-active travel, such as driving or public transportation.

The study also found cycling was associated with greater volumes of the region of the brain responsible for memory and learning.

Experts not involved in the research warn the study is observational. This means it cannot prove cycling directly prevents dementia and it only shows it found an association.

The study was published recently in the journal "Jama Network Open."