A new study suggests that keeping both the body and the mind active later in life may help guard against the memory loss associated with mild cognitive impairment.

According to WebMD, researchers at the Mayo Clinic studied 926 people, ages 70 to 90 for the study, which was presented at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology.

They found that individuals who engaged in any amount of moderate exercise were 36 percent less likely to have mild cognitive impairment than those who did not exercise.

Participants who participated in mentally engaging activities such as reading books, playing games, and using a computer also had a lower risk of mild cognitive impairment. Computer use, in particular, was shown to reduce the risk of mild cognitive impairment by 44 percent.

In addition, researchers told WebMD that when they took into account other risk factors for mild cognitive impairment, they found that the individuals who engaged in both moderate physical exercise and computer use had increased protection against cognitive decline.

"Our study found that engaging in physical exercise at any frequency, once a week or five times a week, and engaging in mental activities, computer use in particular, appear to have a joint effect in protecting against mild cognitive impairment," said the Mayo Clinic’s Dr. Yonas Geda.