Regular exercise such as swimming, running, walking or dancing may preserve brain abilities past the age of 65, research suggests.

A study of 648 healthy people aged 65-80 found those with the highest cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) typically scored higher on five cognitive tests.

These included assessments designed to test processing speed, working memory and executive function.

To check CRF, participants’ maximum oxygen consumption was recorded while they walked on a treadmill.

Older people typically performed worse across all five test areas, however those with better CRF fared better than those who were less fit.

The US researchers - including experts at the University of Pittsburgh, Northeastern University in Boston and AdventHealth hospital in Orlando - said exercise could be prescribed to promote healthy ageing.

They wrote in the British Journal of Sports Medicine: “These findings highlight CRF as an important health factor for preserving multidomain cognitive functioning in older adulthood.

“Understanding moderators of this relationship might help to inform the development of individualised exercise prescriptions that target CRF to optimise cognitive health in ageing.”

The research follows a recent study of 61,000 Britons which found that better CRF was linked to a 40% lower risk of developing dementia.

Among those diagnosed with dementia, people with high CRF typically experienced onset of symptoms around one and a half years later than those with low fitness.

People with high CRF are also known to have a lower risk of heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and certain cancers.