How 锻炼 May Lower Your Risk of Dementia

Here's why even a small amount of physical activity is good for your brain.

As people age, cognitive function tends to naturally decline. This may just mean you become a bit more forgetful or that it takes you longer to solve complex problems. But you may also be concerned about developing dementia or Alzheimer's disease when you get older.

By the year 2050, it is estimated that over 115 million people will have dementia worldwide. But there may be things you can do to lower your chance of being part of that statistic. One of them is easy to do—you can exercise.

Your brain may not even need much exercise to reap benefits. Even a little bit may help lower the risk of developing dementia, according to a study published in December 2021. 这项研究, 在62年之后,000名65岁及以上的成年人, found that even small amounts of light-intensity physical activity lowered the risk of dementia by 14% compared to not being physically active. Activity levels in the study were equivalent to an 18-minute daily walk or an hour on the golf course once a week.

另一项研究 在杂志上 衰老的神经生物学 showed that exercise appears to help keep the aging brain sharper. Findings were based on MRI scans indicating that physical brain age was slightly more than a half year younger for every flight of stairs a participant climbed daily compared to non-stair climbing participants.

锻炼 has been shown to help memory 和 thinking in other studies, too. Regular aerobic exercise appears to boost the size of the hippocampus, the area of the brain involved in verbal memory 和 learning. Physical activity also reduces inflammation 和 stimulates the release of chemicals in the brain that affect the growth of new blood vessels 和 the health of brain cells. 

That's all good news for your brain!

To help protect your brain as you age, make exercise part of your daily routine. Aerobic exercise appears to be the best type of activity for keeping your brain sharp. Choose moderate-intensity activities such as walking, stair-climbing, swimming or dancing. 即使是日常琐事, such as cleaning the house or gardening, can help you meet your aerobic activity goal. You don't have to do a lot of exercise to help keep your brain stronger. Anything you can do is better than nothing. Start small 和 build up the amount of time or the intensity of what you do as you feel ready. Of course, check with your doctor before beginning any new physical activity.