Every Step Holds Hope: Walking, Memory, and the Grandmother I Lost

Why the research on walking and brain health means more to me than another wellness headline.

My grandmother passed away from Alzheimer’s in 1987. That is why this subject is deeply personal to me. For our family, there were so many unanswered questions about the disease. Reading about memory and brain health today brings me back to that loss—and reminds me why sharing responsible health information matters.

I cannot change what happened to my grandmother. But I can help bring attention to research that gives us reasons to care for ourselves, ask better questions, and support the people we love.

Sayer Ji’s article, “The Miracle of Walking: What Every Step Does for Your Brain,” drew my attention to studies exploring walking, memory, and dementia risk. His discussion is the starting point for this reflection. The research belongs to the scientists who conducted it; the personal perspective here is my own.

What does the research actually show?

A 2022 study in JAMA Neurology followed 78,430 adults for about seven years. Higher daily step counts were associated with a lower likelihood of developing dementia. The strongest modeled association was around 9,800 steps a day, but an association was also seen at lower amounts. [1]

That is encouraging, but it does not establish that walking caused the difference. People who walk more may differ in other ways, and early, undiagnosed disease can affect how much someone moves. These findings do not turn a particular step count into a prescription or a guarantee.

Another study, published in PNAS in 2011, randomly assigned 120 older adults to an aerobic walking program or stretching and toning. After a year, the walking group showed an increase of roughly 2% in hippocampal volume, a brain region important for memory. [2] This was a finding about a particular brain region in a particular study—not evidence that walking reverses Alzheimer’s or makes the entire brain grow.

Hope needs honesty, too

Not every exercise trial has shown a cognitive benefit. In the LIFE randomized trial, involving 1,635 sedentary older adults, a two-year physical activity program did not improve overall or specific cognitive performance compared with health education. [3]

That is why I would not tell someone that walking can prevent or cure Alzheimer’s. The evidence is promising in some areas and mixed in others. We need to keep the distinction between an association, a change on a brain scan, and a proven treatment clear.

And we must never turn this conversation into blame. Developing dementia does not mean someone failed to take care of themselves. I would never want a family reading this to believe that their loved one’s illness was their fault.

Make room for a walk that fits your life

My takeaway is practical: consider making comfortable movement part of your routine, without treating a step counter as a test you must pass.

• Start with a short, manageable walk—perhaps five or ten minutes if that suits your ability.
• Choose a safe route and a pace you can sustain. Build gradually instead of chasing a headline number.
• Invite someone along if companionship makes it easier to continue.
• If walking is difficult, ask a qualified professional about movement adapted to your needs. The walking studies do not establish identical benefits for every alternative.
• Seek medical advice about new or worsening memory changes. Exercise is not a substitute for an evaluation.

If balance problems, symptoms, or a medical condition make activity uncertain, get guidance on a suitable starting point.

For my grandmother—and the families asking questions today

I share this because my grandmother’s life matters to me, and because other families are facing the same fear and uncertainty. They deserve compassion and information they can trust.

For me, a walk can be a small expression of care for the years ahead. No promises. No blame. Just a willingness to learn, move when we can, and hold on to hope without overstating what science knows.

This article shares personal experience and general health education, not individual medical advice or a treatment for dementia.

Sources and further reading

1. del Pozo Cruz B, et al. Association of Daily Step Count and Intensity With Incident Dementia in 78,430 Adults Living in the UK. JAMA Neurology. 2022. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2022.2672.
2. Erickson KI, et al. Exercise training increases size of hippocampus and improves memory. PNAS. 2011. doi:10.1073/pnas.1015950108.
3. Sink KM, et al. Effect of a 24-Month Physical Activity Intervention vs Health Education on Cognitive Outcomes in Sedentary Older Adults: The LIFE Randomized Trial. JAMA. 2015. doi:10.1001/jama.2015.9617.

Inspiration: Sayer Ji, The Miracle of Walking: What Every Step Does for Your Brain. The supplied GreenMedInfo page could not be retrieved during preparation; the author’s own published version and the research records above were consulted instead. This is an original reflection, not a reproduction of his article.