Prevention & Recovery
Small Amounts Of Exercise Linked To Reduced Dementia Risk, Study Finds
Photo by Vlada Karpovich, Pexels
Prevention & Recovery
Small Amounts Of Exercise Linked To Reduced Dementia Risk, Study Finds
It turns out there’s no such thing as “too little” when it comes to exercise.
Yes, that five-minute walk after lunch or 20 air squats after dinner can help contribute to a lower risk of dementia, says a new study led by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
The results found that as little as 35 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise per week (or five minutes per day)—compared to zero minutes—was enough to lower the risk of developing dementia over a four-year period by 41 percent. The study included almost 90,000 adults with a median age of 63, 56 percent of whom were women.
The risk of dementia continued to lower as participants remained active. The results show a 60 percent lower risk with activity levels of 35-69.9 minutes of exercise per week, 63 percent lower for 70 to 139.9 minutes per week, and 69 percent lower for over 140 minutes per week.
One of the most astonishing findings was that the results were also prevalent in older adults who were considered “frail.” Fraility, in this context, means more at risk for negative health outcomes. Exercise benefitted these participants just as much.
How to reduce your risk of dementia
The Alzheimer Society of Canada estimates that over 700,000 people in Canada are living with dementia, a disease for which there is no cure. Studies such as this can help us take precautionary steps to protect our health as we age. All you need to get started is 35 minutes of exercise per week—as little as five minutes a day!
Watching your cholesterol, eating a well-balanced diet, getting 7-8 hours of sleep, and staying connected mentally and socially are more ways to take back some control.
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