EXERCISE TO BEAT DEMENTIA
Simple 45-minute workouts can keep your brain healthy
JUST 45 minutes of daily exercise is the key to keeping dementia at bay, a study shows.
Running, walking, yoga and tai chi “significantly” boosted brain power in the over-50s.
Experts who reviewed 39 trials involving nearly 13,000 adults said almost any exercise leaving you breathless had benefits, irrespective of the current state of someone’s brain health.
Professor Joseph Northey, of the University of Canberra Research Institute for Sport and Exercise, Australia, said: “The findings suggest an exercise programme of at least moderate intensity and at least 45 minutes per session, on as many days of the week as possible, is beneficial to cognitive function in adults aged over 50.”
The researchers checked records of 12,820 people in their 50s from the trials who were given supervised exercise programmes, including aerobic exercise, resistance training, tai chi and yoga. They found taking up
moderate or vigorous exercise improved brain capacity, the ability to process information quickly and memory.
Aerobic exercise, like running, swimming or walking, significantly enhanced cognitive abilities while resistance training, like weights, had a “pronounced effect” on working memory.
Yoga and tai chi also improved mental function which is seen as important as they are types of exercise suitable for those unable to undertake more challenging forms of activity.
Analysis showed a session of moderate to vigorous intensity and lasting between 45 and 60 minutes was the best for brain health.
Dr David Reynolds, chief scientific officer at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “Regular exercise has a whole range of health benefits and can play an important role in keeping our brains healthy as we age.
“This review underscores the link between exercise and brain health and, in line with guidance from the NHS, supports the idea both strength exercises and aerobic activity can be beneficial for people as they get older. While these different types of exercise had positive effects on brain function, they had to be at least moderately intensive – the kind of activity that raises your heart rate and leave you at least slightly out of breath.”
Moderate
Doctors have long warned against the dangers of prolonged periods of inactivity with the average Briton spending nine hours a day sat down at work, in a car and on the sofa at home.
Research suggests a sedentary lifestyle can trigger chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, colon cancer, back issues, deep vein thrombosis, depression and dementia. Millions think exercise means spending hours in the gym but the reality is that a brisk walk, a game of tennis or swimming all form part of an active lifestyle.
The British Heart Foundation recommends at least 150 minutes of exercise each week but the majority of us fail to achieve this basic target.
In research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine today Prof Northey said: “Physical exercise shows promise as a modifiable risk factor to reduce the risk of dementia and related neurodegenerative diseases.”
He added: “This analysis provides clinicians with evidence to recommend patients obtain both aerobic and resistance exercise of at least moderate intensity on as many days of the week as feasible, in line with current exercise guidelines.”
Dr Doug Brown, director of research at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “The benefits of regular exercise to keep a sharp mind are becoming clearer. Previous studies show people who exercise are less likely to develop dementia.”
Research revealed by the Daily Express yesterday showed almost half of us fear dementia more than any other condition. It doubles in prevalence every five years above the age of 65 but if onset could be delayed by five years it would be halved.
Drugs to slow its progress are already in late stage trials with researchers hoping a “disease modifying therapy” will be available by 2025.
Dementia affects 850,000 people in Britain.