Luckily the type of exercise found to slash your dementia risk doesn’t need to be high impact or high intensity.
Dementia is a syndrome, or a group of associated symptoms, linked to the progressive decline of the brain. Most common among people over the age of 65, it can sometimes be mistaken for some of the typical signs of ageing.
While your risk of dementia can be influenced by your genetics, which are beyond your control, what many people don’t realise is that almost half of all cases could be prevented through lifestyle changes. These include factors such as your diet, whether you smoke and drink alcohol, how social you are and even air pollution.
How often you exercise has also previously been linked to your chances of developing dementia. But now a new study has revealed a specific type of fitness could significantly influence your dementia risk.
According to scientists, your heart and lung fitness might be one of the best defences against cognitive decline. The study, which was published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, found that people with higher cardiorespiratory fitness not only perform better on cognitive tests but also face a significantly lower risk of developing dementia – even if they carry genetic risk factors for the condition.
Cardiorespiratory fitness, or CRF, is a measure of how well your body can supply oxygen to your muscles during physical activity. It has long been acknowledged as a crucial indicator of overall health.
This fitness metric typically declines as we age, with this accelerating more rapidly in our later years. For example, by the time we reach our 70s, we might be losing more than 20 percent of our CRF per decade.
As part of the study, a team followed more than 61,000 participants aged between 39 and 70 years old for up to 12 years. The participants underwent a simple six-minute exercise test on a stationary bike to measure their cardiorespiratory fitness levels.
People with high CRF had better performance in several cognitive areas, including prospective memory (remembering to do things in the future), verbal and numeric memory, and processing speed. During the study period, 553 of the participants developed dementia.
Those with high CRF levels had a 40 percent lower risk of developing any type of dementia compared to those with low fitness levels. The study also found that high cardiorespiratory fitness could delay the onset of dementia by about one and a half years.
Even among people with moderate to high genetic risk for dementia, those with high CRF levels showed a 35 percent lower risk of developing dementia compared to their less-fit counterparts. This suggests that staying physically fit might help offset some of the genetic cards we’re dealt when it comes to cognitive decline.
Study authors concluded: “High CRF is associated with better cognitive performance at baseline and lower dementia risk long-term. High CRF could mitigate the impact of genetic predisposition on the development of dementia by 35 percent.”
Luckily you don’t need to take part in extreme levels of exercise to improve your CRF. Activities such as brisk walking, swimming, cycling, or dancing can all help maintain and improve cardiorespiratory fitness.
Experts at the Cleveland Clinic explain: “You can improve your cardiovascular endurance by doing activities that increase the amount of oxygen you breathe in. You can start with 10 to 15 minutes of cardiovascular endurance exercises a day. Then you can challenge your body a little at a time by adding a few minutes each day. (Adults should get at least 150 minutes of exercise every week.)
“In addition to adding more minutes, you can increase how far you walk or make it harder by raising the incline on your treadmill. All of these push your body harder and improve your cardiovascular endurance.”
The NHS says you can lower your risk for dementia by:
- Eating a balanced diet
- Maintaining a healthy weight
- Exercising regularly
- Keeping alcohol within recommended limits
- Stopping smoking
- Keeping your blood pressure at a healthy level
