Three seconds go by in a flash, but that’s enough time for another person to join the masses already diagnosed with dementia. According to Alzheimer’s Disease International, every three seconds someone in the world develops dementia, a condition that more than 55 million people were living with in 2020.
The World Health Organization notes that various diseases and injuries that affect the brain can contribute to dementia. As menacing a threat as dementia presents, individuals are not helpless against it. In fact, exercise, which can help lower risk for heart disease, stroke and various other conditions, can be a valuable ally against dementia as well.
What is the link between exercise and dementia?
Dementia remains something of a mystery, but the Alzheimer’s Society notes that evidence is now strong enough to support the assertion that lack of physical exercise increases a person’s risk of developing dementia. The Alzheimer’s Society also notes that researchers have discovered improvements in thinking and memory and reduced rates of dementia among middle-aged and older adults who exercised compared to those that did not.
Is cardio the most effective exercise at lowering dementia risk?
Speaking with CNBC, Silky Singh Pahlajani, a clinical professor of behavioral neurology and neuropsychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine, noted that cardiovascular exercise, often referred to as cardio, can provide the biggest benefit for brain health of any form of exercise. Cardiovascular exercise can increase heart rate, which helps deliver oxygen cells to the brain. The National Institutes of Health notes that oxygen shortages prevent the brain from working as well as it should, and a 2023 study published in the journal Redox Biology found that oxygen abnormality plays a crucial role in the occurrence and progression of Alzheimer’s disease.
How should aging adults approach exercise if they have been largely sedentary?
Middle-aged and older adults who have not been physically active throughout their adult life but want to begin incorporating exercise into their daily routines are urged to speak with their physicians prior to beginning a fitness regimen. Preexisting conditions may make it difficult, if not impossible, to engage in certain forms of exercise. A personal physician can consider a patient’s unique medical history and then recommend certain exercises that won’t put him or her in jeopardy of suffering an injury or illness. A gradual approach to exercising is typically best for individuals who have lived a sedentary lifestyle. Starting off slowly with a short walk or light physical activity like gardening can help the body acclimate to physical activity at a safe pace. As adults bodies’ become more accustomed to exercise, men and women can then gradually increase the intensity of their workouts, switching from walking to jogging on a treadmill when possible.
