Whether you walk on two legs — or gambol happily on four and happen to bark — being physically active lowers the risk of developing dementia with age, according to two new studies involving people and dogs.

Many of us might be surprised to learn that dogs develop dementia (including me, although I have three dogs). But it is common with aging, just as in people, and the disease hallmarks are similar in both species.

“Getting lost is one of the most common symptoms” of canine cognitive dysfunction, the formal name for dog dementia, said Matt Kaeberlein, a professor at the University of Washington in Seattle, co-director of the Dog Aging Project, and co-author of the dementia study.

One of the studies monitored the activities of 15,019 pet dogs. The other tracked the daily steps of 78,430 men and women. Together they provide inspiring data about the precise amounts of walking that best protect brains and also how detrimental excessive sitting — and staying — can be.