The Best Age to Exercise for Brain Health
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everyone knows that exercise is good for you. Whether you take a brisk walk around the neighborhood or work yourself out in the gym, every form of exercise counts. But is there also a phase in your life when exercise is extra beneficial for your brain?
When it comes to keeping your brain sharp, scientists have now persistent at what age exercise has the most impact. A study published earlier this month in JAMA Network Open shows that prioritizing exercise in a specific phase of life can significantly reduce the risk of dementia.
When Exercise Protects Against Dementia
Scientists have been researching for decades what movement does to the body. the conclusion is clear: exercise is always good. But this research shows that exercise is most protective of your cognitive functions between your mid-forties and mid-sixties.
The researchers analyzed physical activity data from 4,354 participants in the prestigious and long-running Framingham Heart Study.This allowed them to examine how movement influences the brain at different stages of life. (the study began in 1948,but a new,large group of participants was added around 1971.)
Active Participants Lower Risk of Dementia
During the study period, 567 people developed dementia.Participants who were in their middle years – defined as between 45 and 64 – and regularly engaged in moderate to intensive exercise had a 40 percent lower risk of dementia than peers who were hardly active.
In addition, the researchers saw a clear reason to continue exercising after the age of 65. In fact, people who stayed active beyond that age were 45 percent less likely to develop dementia than their sedentary peers.
Working on a Strategy to Prevent Dementia
“We took this approach to better understand when in a person’s life physical activity can have the most impact on reducing dementia risk,” said Phillip Hwang, assistant professor of epidemiology at Boston university School of Public Health and co-author of the study. “that knowledge can ultimately lead to more targeted and effective strategies to prevent dementia.”
Does Exercising in Your Thirties Reduce the Risk of Dementia?
There are countless reasons to exercise early in life. But in this study, the researchers…
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