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Three simple steps you can take now to prevent dementia later in life

With around 425,000 Australians living with dementia and numbers expected to rise to more than one million by 2050, the condition is big news.

But according to the experts, a little daily physical exercise teamed with some cognitive stimulation and a healthy diet could help us stave off destructive and heartbreaking symptoms. Here are three ways you can help prevent dementia…

1. BODY MOVEMENT

What’s good for your heart is also good for your head, says Associate Professor Colm Cunningham, director of the Dementia Centre in NSW.

“Daily aerobic exercise in particular has been shown to improve oxygen-rich blood flow to the brain, which can slow or reduce cognitive decline,” he explains.

Experts have also found a close link between being outside in nature and improved overall physical, mental and emotional health. So while a workout in the gym is good, head to the park on weekends or stretch your legs with a walk during your lunch break.

2. MIND EXERCISES

We don’t need to be completing a sudoku book a day, but some simple mental activities such as writing (try keeping a diary), reading, puzzles and doing everyday maths – without using a calculator! – are great ways to give our brains a daily workout.

“Neural pathways are the connections in our brain that information travels along,” says Swisse wellness expert Cheryl Goodman. “It’s important to keep our brain stimulated, as these pathways can become obsolete if not commonly used.”

3. BRAIN FOODS

The term “food for thought” springs to mind here – and Tamar Krebs, an aged ed care and dementia expert, rt, agrees.

“The food we eat has as an impact on how we function, nction, focus and perform,” she e says, adding that studies show w those who follow “a Mediterranean nean diet, rich in fruits, vegetables, les, olive oil, legumes, whole grains ains and fish, are less likely to have ve Alzheimer’s disease”.

Tamar also advises avoiding processed foods, which slow responses and are to blame for inflammation in the brain.