Dementia is the name given to a group of symptoms linked to an ongoing decline in brain function. You could reduce your risk of the neurodegenerative condition by simply going for a quick walk.

There are a number of different types of dementia, and the most common in the UK is Alzheimer’s disease.

Diagnosing the condition early could help to slow down the condition’s progress.

Making some small lifestyle changes could lower your chances of developing Alzheimer’s in later life.

One of the easiest ways to protect against dementia is to do a regular 20-minute brisk walk.

Just a small amount of exercise could make a different to your risk of dementia, according to Dr Zoe Williams.

A simple walk, just once a week, could lower your risk of the neurodegenerative condition by up to 20 percent, she said.

Your walk needs to be quick enough to get you out of breath, however.

The older you are, the more you’ll benefit from a brisk walk.

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“I’m not going to lecture people on unhealthy habits; we all know that smoking is bad for us, eating junk food is bad for us, and drinking too much booze is bad for us,” Dr Zoe said in August.

“The crucial thing about exercise is that you don’t need to do all that much of it to reduce your risk of dementia.

“Just once a week; just do something like a 20-minute brisk walk. That could reduce your risk by 20 percent.

“It’s got to get you sweaty and out of breath, and ideally it’s more, but 20 minutes can reduce your risk.”

You could also lower your risk of dementia by keeping your brain active, added Dr Zoe.

Learning something new or staying in touch with a group of friends could play a big role in protecting against Alzheimer’s.

Dementia risk starts when you’re a child, so the more educated you are, the lower your chances of the condition.

The brain starts to shrink as we get older, and we lose brain cells. So the more complex those brain cells are to begin with, the better.

There’s no certain way to prevent dementia from developing, but there are ways to lower your risk, said the NHS.

Eating a healthy, balanced diet should help to lower your chances of developing dementia.

It’s also important to do enough exercise. Everyone should aim to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity every week.

There are around 850,000 people in the UK with dementia, and the condition affects one in every six people over 80 years old.

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