As you age, maintaining your cognitive health becomes increasingly important. At this time, 55 million people around the world suffer from dementia, a syndrome that affects the ability to remember, think clearly, make decisions and more. The good news? Experts say that experiencing these symptoms as you age isn’t a foregone conclusion: There are plenty of ways to reduce the risk of dementia. And, even if you’ve reached your senior year, it’s not too late to strengthen your cognitive health. Read on to find out what you can do to reduce your risk by at least 30 percent and the other benefits that come with it.
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Research has long established the benefits of exercise on brain health, but recent studies have confirmed that continuing to exercise into old age can have a significant impact on your risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s. In fact, a 2022 study published in Alzheimer’s and Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer’s Association say what “physical activity in old age (PA) is one of the most consistently recommended lifestyle modifications to support brain and cognitive aging.” It also notes that “inactivity alone is estimated to account for more than 4 million cases of dementia.”
To determine the extent of exercise’s impact on the brain health of older people, the team recorded motor data from 404 subjects and followed up with post-mortem evaluations of the brain. They found that those who exercised more frequently later in life were significantly less likely to have developed Alzheimer’s or other forms of dementia at the time of their death.
Other research has mirrored these findings. A 2019 study of a similar design published in the journal Neurology observed that those who performed more frequent physical activity they scored better on tests of memory and cognition. “Each increase in physical activity by one standard deviation was associated with a 31 percent lower risk of dementia”, the Cleveland Clinic reports on the study findings.
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The researchers behind the 2022 study posited that the brain benefits appear to be related to higher levels of synaptic protein as a result of exercise. They say that these healthier and more abundant synaptic proteins, which connect neurons in the brain, likely contribute to brain resilience, even for those with a higher demographic level. dementia risk. “Regardless of the presence of pathology, cognition cannot occur without the integrity of the synaptic unit,” the team explains.
The study concludes that those who wish to reduce their risk of dementia may therefore benefit from a sustained exercise regimen in old age. “Our data are the first to demonstrate a link between a lifestyle behavior, PA, and markers of synaptic integrity in human brain tissue. We suggest that PA may help build synaptic health, even at advanced ages,” write the team. .
According to the Cleveland Clinic, there are other ways exercise can benefit brain health besides preserving synaptic proteins. The health authority notes that regular exercise can promote blood flow to the brain by improving cardiovascular health, reduces inflammation, reduces stress hormones, increases the thickness of the cerebral cortex and improves the integrity of the brain’s white matter.
The Cleveland Clinic also notes that exercise also promotes neuroplasticity, “the brain’s ability to form new neural connections and adapt throughout life.” Importantly, exercise can help this process occur in the hippocampus, an area of the brain that is essential for memory.
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Now you may be wondering how much exercise is enough to reduce your risk of dementia. The Cleveland Clinic says that by engaging in medium-intensity aerobic exercise for a minimum of 150 minutes per week, you should be able to improve your fitness as well as your brain health. “We know that physical exercise, and aerobic exercise in particular, is very beneficial for maintaining brain health, even in people at risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s,” explains the neuropsychologist Aaron Bonner Jackson, PhD, told the health authority. “It can make a big difference in terms of how your body works and, as a result, how your brain works,” he adds.
In equally good news, you won’t have long to wait to reap the rewards of your hard work. According to the Alzheimer’s Society, only a month of regular aerobic exercise can improve the performance of healthy adults on cognitive tests. After reviewing the results of 29 clinical trials, the organization established a direct link between this minimal period of sustained exercise and improved memory, attention, and processing speed.
So when it comes to exercise, it’s never too late to start; just be sure to talk to your doctor first about the safest exercise regimen for you. Whether you hit the gym, play a sport, or include a brisk walk in your daily routine, your brain will benefit from exercise at any age.
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