Studies indicate, for 20 years, yearly 454 older adults underwent cognitive tests and physical exams, agreed to donate their brains when they died for research purposes. Accelerometers were given to participants, to track their physical activity and movement throughout the day.
Those who moved, scored better on memory and thinking test. The researchers reported, an increase in physical activity were associated with a 31% lower risk of dementia. Even after the study’s author accounted for the participants’ brain pathology and whether or not they had dementia, the association between brain function and physical activity remained consistent.
In another study, 160 sedentary older people, were assigned to take part in several options who were with mild cognitive impairment. They do aerobic exercise, three times a week (45 minutes per session). Eat a heart- healthy dietary approaches to stop Hypertension (DASH) diet, receive health education or combine aerobic exercise with DASH diet.
Those who followed only the DASH diet, within the six months, didn’t improve on assessments of executive function, which is responsible for tasks like problem solving, multitasking and planning. According to the study, health- education group’s brain function got worse.
According to researchers, people who combined DASH diet and exercise, showed much more improvements in thinking and memory.
Neuropsychologist, Aaron Bonner- Jackson, PhD said, to benefit brain health, there are many potential mechanisms of exercise. Even in people who are at risk for development of Alzheimer’s or other dementias, for many years can stave off decline in some cases and help people to function better.
Exercising benefits your brain in many ways, such as promoting cardiovascular health, reducing inflammation, improving blood flow to your brain and lowering levels of stress hormones.
by exercising, you can improve the integrity of your white matter (the nerve fibers that connect areas of the brain’s nerve -cell-rich gray matter) and increase the thickness of your cerebral cortex. it also promotes neuroplasticity, which is your brain’s ability to form new neural connections.
Exercises such as dancing, swimming, biking, jogging and running will keep your heart rate up, which is best for your brain.
Regular exercise will lead to an optimal brain health. If you need some tips to get started on an exercise program, talk with a healthcare provider, which will help to benefit your body and brain.
