Among all lifestyle factors, regular exercise is said to be more effective in reducing the risk of Alzheimer’s and memory loss. In general, exercise is good for physical and mental health.
It strengthens bones and muscles and reduces heart disease and diabetes. However, it also appears that regular exercise benefits the brain and minimizes stress.
Studies examining the effect of exercise show that physically active individuals have a lowered risk of having Alzheimer’s and reduced mental abilities.
Furthermore, regular physical exercise helps to resist other Alzheimer’s factors like obesity and depression.
For more details on how to combat Alzheimer’s and related dementia, check out YourDementiaTherapist.com.
Exercise And Reduced Risk of Memory Loss
Aerobic exercise is known to improve heart rate. So, several studies conducted on older and middle-aged adults performing aerobic exercises showed decreased dementia rates and improved memory and thinking ability.
If people exercise for 30 to 60 minutes every week several times, it may help to:
- Improve thinking, reasoning, memory, and decision abilities in individuals with mild intellectual impairment and Alzheimer’s
- Slow down the occurrence or progress of Alzheimer’s in individuals
- Enhance a part of the brain’s size linked with memory formation.
Moreover, the WHO even recommended individuals 65 of age and over to –
- Carry out medium-intensity of aerobic exercise for 150 minutes each week. Or work out vigorous aerobic exercise for 75 minutes.
- Otherwise, follow a combination of vigorous and moderate aerobic exercise and muscle-strengthening workouts.
Physical exercise, especially strength training, is associated with better sleep, refined moods, and cognitive health. The fact is that exercise allows more blood to flow to the brain, keeping it healthy and active. And it’s important!
Physical Activity Nourishes Key Brain Parts
Exercise boosts the brain parts like the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus, associated with learning and memory, respectively.
Physical activity will anatomically reinforce the two prime brain areas of Alzheimer’s or dementia. But it won’t cure the disease. Three main things that significantly benefit from exercise are memory, consciousness, and mood.
According to the National Institutes of Health, encouraging evidence stipulated that more physically active older adults are associated with a decreased rate of logical decline and a lower risk of getting affected by Alzheimer’s.
Effects of Exercise on Middle-aged People
Several studies have been conducted on mid-aged individuals to see whether exercise affects memory and thinking abilities in later life.
After considering the results of nearly 11 studies, it was inferred that exercising daily can minimize the chances of developing Alzheimer’s by nearly 45% and dementia by nearly 30%.
Another study was supervised in Wales, consisting of more than 2,000 men who were looked at for 35 years. This study evaluated five behaviors: regular physical activity, mild alcohol consumption, no smoking, healthy diet, and healthy body weight.
Out of these five, the exercise showed the most effect on minimizing dementia or mental loss risk. Moreover, individuals who followed four or all of the above behaviors had about 60% fewer chances of suffering from dementia.
On the other hand, aerobic exercise is said to boost healthy adults’ cognitive and thinking abilities. It was speculated by combining the outcome of 29 clinical trials.
When people practicing regular aerobic exercise were compared with the ones with non-aerobic regular exercise like toning and stretching, aerobic exercisers showed refinements in consciousness and memory.
Effect of Exercise on Older People
There has been no sufficient research conducted on healthy older individuals. But some studies revealed that regular exercise could decrease the risk of developing dementia.
Nearly 27 studies assessed the association of exercise with brain functionality in individuals aged 60 years or more. And twenty-six of these studies exhibited a clear effect of regular physical activity on cognitive performance.
This indicates that exercising regularly can be an efficient way to prevent cognitive decline later.
Healthy older people also can benefit from aerobic exercise. In a moderately controlled trial, individuals doing aerobic exercises for one year showed a small elevation in the hippocampus size in the brain.
Another study in Scotland involving 638 people found that physically active individuals of 70 years had less brain contraction over three years than the ones who weren’t physically active.
Areas of Ambiguity Still Exist
Unfortunately, there are yet no randomized controlled trials (RCT) to prove that regular exercise or physical activity routines can control or prevent Alzheimer’s or dementia.
More research is required to acknowledge the most effective intensity and level of exercise. Plus, we need more evidence to apprehend how actively exercise contributes to minimizing the risk of Alzheimer’s.
However, it’s essential to exercise regularly for physical and mental well-being. Older people will even benefit from leisurely workouts.
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