Exercise isn\u2019t a pill, so it can\u2019t be patented. But while that makes it far less marketable, it\u2019s no less remarkable. We\u2019ve known for millennia that lifestyle plays a major role in the development (or not) of chronic disease. And studies conducted over the past half-century show conclusively that exercise is one of the best lifestyle tools<\/a> for healthy aging and the prevention and management of a wide variety of conditions and diseases such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, stroke \u2014 and dementia.<\/strong><\/p>\n Prevention of that last one, dementia, has a particularly strong association with exercise. Alzheimer\u2019s organizations recommend exercise<\/a> as a means to reduce the risk of the disease. And it can also be beneficial for people already living<\/a> with the disease.<\/p>\n So, how does exercise impact the brain in such a positive way? What do the studies really say about dementia and Alzheimer\u2019s prevention and management? And are there any particular exercises that are most beneficial for dementia?<\/p>\n Dementia<\/a> is an umbrella term for a series of progressive neurological conditions. It involves loss of the ability to think, remember, and reason \u2014 and sometimes to control emotions and behaviors. Changes in certain brain regions cause neurons (nerve cells) and their connections to stop working properly. For the most part, the actual causes of dementia are unknown.<\/p>\n Alzheimer\u2019s disease<\/a> is the most common form of dementia, but it isn\u2019t the only kind. Other types of dementia include frontotemporal dementia<\/a>, Lewy body dementia<\/a>, vascular dementia<\/a>, Parkinson\u2019s disease dementia (PDD)<\/a>, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease<\/a>.<\/p>\n While there\u2019s no cure for dementia, medications and lifestyle modifications can slow disease progression.<\/strong> Lifestyle strategies can also reduce the risk of disease development, sometimes in significant ways. Let\u2019s look at what the research says about one lifestyle strategy in particular: physical activity.<\/p>\n Because researchers aren\u2019t sure what causes Alzheimer\u2019s and other forms of dementia, they\u2019re uncertain about how exercise works to prevent it, slow its progression, and even improve cognitive functions in patients with Alzheimer\u2019s.<\/p>\n But work it does.<\/p>\n One mechanism of action may be the effect of exercise directly on the brain. It can increase blood flow<\/a> to the brain, promote the growth of new brain cells, and enhance synaptic connections, which are essential for cognitive functions.<\/strong><\/p>\n Studies also suggest that exercise can reduce neuroinflammation<\/a> caused by neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid deposits in the brain, which are key factors in the development and progression of Alzheimer\u2019s.<\/p>\n One question about exercise and dementia protection is, how much exercise are we talking about? While there are a number of studies showing that walking 6,000 steps per day<\/a> or more is associated with a decreased risk of Alzheimer\u2019s, not all older adults are able to engage in that much activity. Is some exercise better than no exercise?<\/p>\n You bet it is.<\/p>\n A 2023 study explored<\/a> if less exercise was still beneficial, and found that for adults over the age of 50, even a single session of walking 15\u201330 minutes per week (1,500\u20133,000 steps or so) looked like it cut dementia risk in half.<\/strong> And people who were able to walk 15\u201330 minutes almost every day had one-fifth the risk compared to those who didn\u2019t exercise at all.<\/p>\n Some recent studies have looked at how exercise affects brain physiology as well as function. A 2023 meta-analysis of 12 clinical trials found<\/a> that exercise improved such cognitive skills as global cognition (that\u2019s overall cognitive function \u2014 not some super skill at memorizing capital cities on a globe) and executive function (organization and decision-making), but didn\u2019t affect processing speed or short-term memory. (So it probably won\u2019t help to jump up and down if you\u2019ve misplaced your keys.)<\/p>\n The clinical trials also included EEG (electroencephalogram) and fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) assessments that showed that exercise improved how neurons in the brain functioned in response to stimuli.<\/p>\n And in a 2023 review article, researchers noted<\/a> that exercise can reduce the risk of dementia by decreasing the odds that a person will develop heart disease and diabetes, both of which are linked to mild cognitive decline.<\/strong> It also helps keep blood vessels healthy, making it easier for blood to flow (which can reduce high blood pressure).<\/p>\n On a smaller scale, within the body\u2019s cells, aerobic exercise might help reduce brain inflammation<\/a> and improve the flexibility of neuronal synapses by releasing compounds with fun names like irisin, cathepsin B, CLU, and GPLD1.<\/p>\n Research also shows that exercise can help people who already have dementia.<\/p>\n One 2022 meta-analysis of 16 clinical trials found<\/a> that Alzheimer\u2019s patients who exercised 3\u20134 times per week for 30\u201345 minutes improved their global cognition after just 12 weeks.<\/strong><\/p>\n Another 2022 meta-analysis of 15 randomized controlled trials found<\/a> that 30-minute exercise sessions 3 times a week significantly improved scores on a test called the MMSE<\/a> (mini-mental state examination) which is widely used to assess cognitive function. (It includes questions about where you are and the current date, as well as tasks such as copying a drawing and writing a short grammatically correct sentence.)<\/p>\n Yet another 2022 meta-analysis (clearly, this was a banner year for dementia-exercise meta-analyses) looked at<\/a> 22 studies, involving more than 1,600 Alzheimer\u2019s patients, that examined the effect of exercise on cognitive functioning. The aggregate data shows that physical activity improved MMSE scores, as well as the results of other cognitive tests (including one specifically for executive function.)<\/p>\n As we\u2019ve seen, researchers are currently looking for mechanisms by which exercise improves cognitive health and resilience. Two popular ideas are that physical activity<\/a> reduces the buildup of harmful substances in the brain and that it encourages the growth of new brain cells and connections.<\/strong><\/p>\n To be more specific, exercise increases the expression<\/a> of neurotrophic (\u201cneuron-growing\u201d) factors like brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF \u2014 we\u2019ll meet it again in a little bit) and vascular endothelial growth factor, both of which are essential for neuroplasticity and cognitive function.<\/p>\n Exercising increases your heart rate, which increases blood flow throughout your body. And that includes your brain. Researchers have discovered<\/a> that when your brain gets more blood, its metabolism increases.<\/strong><\/p>\n This is important because people with dementia may have decreased blood flow due to vascular changes<\/a> (as in vascular dementia), degeneration<\/a> of nerve cells and blood vessels, and cardiovascular diseases<\/a> that accompany or precede cognitive decline.<\/p>\n Another factor is a condition known as blood-brain barrier (BBB) dysfunction<\/a>. The blood-brain barrier is the \u201csecurity guard\u201d of the brain, keeping out toxins and pathogens while allowing in the compounds that the brain requires to function. When this barrier breaks down or stops working, neurodegeneration and brain shrinking can occur, often well before the appearance of clinical symptoms of dementia.<\/p>\n One of the hallmarks of Alzheimer\u2019s disease is the production and deposition of the amyloid beta peptide (A\u03b2, if you want to sound like a scientist) in the brain. Abnormally high levels<\/a> of this protein, which also can be found in healthy brains, clump together to form deposits that interfere with proper cell function.<\/p>\n Physical activity can help decrease amyloid-beta deposition<\/a> and increase its clearance from the brain, which may contribute to the prevention or management of Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/strong><\/p>\n Meet your hippocampus, a brain region that serves multiple functions<\/a> \u2014 the main ones (and those most related to dementia) include learning, memory, and emotional regulation. (Note to self: Please stop picturing hippos wearing graduation gowns while thinking about the hippocampus.)<\/p>\n Through a process called exercise-mediated hippocampal neurogenesis, healthy brains generate new neurons that get incorporated into hippocampal circuits. It appears that one of the drivers of this process is BDNF<\/a>, which is known to increase with physical activity.<\/p>\n Alzheimer\u2019s disease disrupts the balance between neurogenesis and neurodegeneration, favoring destruction over building. Exercise can restore the balance<\/a>, at least to some degree, by combatting neurodegeneration caused by dementia.<\/strong><\/p>\n Mood<\/a> is affected in many types of dementia, both because of physical changes in the brain and as a reaction to the disease and its impact. People with severe dementia have lower endorphin levels, which are associated with pain relief, stress reduction, and mood enhancement.<\/strong><\/p>\n Anyone who\u2019s experienced a \u201crunner\u2019s high\u201d or has felt blissed-out on the yoga mat knows that exercise can improve mood<\/a> by increasing endorphin levels<\/a> and triggering<\/a> the release of lots of other \u201chappy juices\u201d (that\u2019s a bit of jargon I dearly wish neurologists would adopt). Among them are serotonin and dopamine, both associated with pleasure and reward.<\/p>\n There is no set amount or type of exercise that is prescribed specifically for dementia management and prevention. One study found<\/a> that people between the ages of 40 and 79 who took 9,826 steps per day were 50% less likely to develop dementia within seven years. (When I read the article, I thought, \u201cThat\u2019s a weirdly specific number,\u201d until I saw that it was an average.)<\/p>\n Walking is great and accessible to many people, but it\u2019s far from the only option. A 2022 study of a cohort in the UK found<\/a> that everything from vigorous exercise to housework-related activity reduced the risk of several types of dementia.<\/p>\n And exercises that are good for the heart are also good for the brain<\/a>.<\/strong> They trigger the body to produce more nitric oxide<\/a>, a key chemical that dilates blood vessels and improves blood flow \u2014 and that is low in Alzheimer\u2019s patients.<\/p>\n Health organizations like the US CDC<\/a> and the UK\u2019s Department of Health<\/a> recommend that adults get 150 minutes of moderate-intensity physical activity a week, and 2 days of muscle strengthening activity.<\/p>\n Researchers also agree that adults should aim to minimize their sedentary time, as being physically active at any level is better than no physical activity at all.<\/strong> There\u2019s good evidence, as we\u2019ve already seen, that even light activity<\/a> makes a difference when it comes to dementia prevention.<\/p>\n That said, moderate- and vigorous-intensity physical activity seems to have the most benefit. And older adults may also want to add balance-improving exercises at least twice a week.<\/p>\n Dementia prevention is not limited to one activity or even one type of activity. This makes sense since the point of exercise is to move, raise the heart rate (even if only slightly), and engage with the physical world.<\/p>\n A 2022 review and meta-analysis titled \u201cLeisure Activities and the Risk of Dementia<\/a>\u201d found that a wide variety of activities could lower dementia risk. These included \u201cwalking for exercise, hiking or excursions, jogging or running, swimming, stair-climbing, bicycling, using exercise machines, playing ball games or racket sports, participating in group exercises, performing qigong or yoga, performing calisthenics, and dancing.\u201d<\/p>\n The researchers\u2019 conclusion<\/a>, given the breadth of possibilities, was, very scientifically, for people to \u201cdo the exercise that you like.\u201d<\/strong><\/p>\n There are four main categories of exercise to choose from in building your anti-dementia movement protocol. These include aerobic exercise, strength and resistance training, balance exercises, and whole-body vibration exercise.<\/p>\n As we\u2019ve seen, anything that benefits the heart benefits the brain. And one of the best ways to take care of both (and pretty much every other part of your body) is a regular regimen of aerobic exercise<\/a> \u2014 that is, movement that raises your heart rate.<\/p>\n According to the WHO<\/a> (the World Health Organization, not the guys who did Tommy<\/i>), aerobic activity should be performed in sessions of at least 10 minutes, with the aim of getting to 150 minutes of moderate exertion or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week.<\/strong><\/p>\n These may include any of the following, as well as similar activities:<\/p>\n Some researchers distinguish<\/a> between open-skill and closed-skill exercises for dementia prevention. Open-skill exercises, which require participants to make active decisions and adapt to unpredictable situations, appear to be more effective in maintaining cognitive function. Sports like tennis, table tennis, badminton, and all ball sports are examples of open-skill exercises.<\/p>\n Closed-skill exercises include using a treadmill, stationary bicycle, or other aerobic machine, or even walking on an even surface. (And no, I don\u2019t recommend dodging traffic on the freeway to make your morning walk more challenging.)<\/p>\n Muscle size and strength are strongly associated with good cognitive health. Some studies show<\/a> improvements in memory immediately after a single session of weight training.<\/strong> There\u2019s compelling evidence<\/a> that challenging and strengthening muscles positively affects both cognitive performance and brain physiology.<\/p>\n Here are some forms of resistance training that have been shown to reduce the risk of dementia:<\/p>\n While exercises designed to challenge and improve balance<\/a> haven\u2019t been proven to improve cognition, they do have the benefit of reducing falls in people with mild to severe dementia.<\/strong> This matters because people with mild cognitive impairment fall about twice as often<\/a> as people who are not cognitively impaired.<\/p>\n Balance exercises include, among other things:<\/p>\n And here\u2019s a nice article<\/a> on other exercises for seniors looking to improve their balance.<\/p>\n Machines that gently vibrate the whole body can mimic the effects of exercise on muscle fibers and bones. Whole-body vibration exercises can induce changes at the cellular and even molecular levels, and are known to provide neuromuscular, respiratory, and cardiovascular benefits.<\/strong><\/p>\n They have also been shown<\/a> to improve cognitive function in people with dementia. This is an especially exciting option for people with limited mobility for whom more vigorous forms of activity are impossible. If that sounds interesting, check out the Editor\u2019s Note about the Power Plate below.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a compelling relationship between physical activity and brain health, particularly as it relates to dementia prevention and management. Exercise plays a vital role not just in enhancing physical well-being but also in bolstering cognitive functions, delaying the onset of dementia, and mitigating the effects of neurodegenerative diseases. From aerobic exercises to strength training to balance activities, the variety of beneficial physical activities suggests that incorporating any form of regular exercise into one\u2019s lifestyle can significantly contribute to brain health.<\/p>\n While the exact amount and type of exercise that\u2019s ideal for each person may vary, the overarching message is clear: Staying active at any level is preferable to inactivity. Embracing exercise as a preventative and therapeutic tool in the fight against dementia offers a hopeful pathway.<\/p>\n And if you\u2019re a younger person reading this and thinking, \u201cOK, I\u2019ll start exercising when I hit my 60s,\u201d you may want to start sooner. Researchers in Australia measured<\/a> the fitness levels of a group of children in 1985 and then followed up more than 30 years later. They reported in 2022 that the kids with the highest fitness levels turned into adults with the highest levels of cognitive functioning. It\u2019s never too early to take charge of your health destiny!<\/p>\n Studies show that whole-body vibration may also be beneficial for cognitive health. That\u2019s why it\u2019s now being used by some of the world\u2019s leading doctors, hospitals, professional athletes, and actors, like Serena Williams and Morgan Freeman. <\/span>Click here<\/a> to learn more and take advantage of a special limited-time discount for Food Revolution Network members.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n If you purchase through that link, Power Plate will contribute a portion of the proceeds to support Food Revolution Network\u2019s mission. (Thank you!)<\/i><\/p>\n<\/div>\n Featured Image: iStock.com\/adamkaz<\/i><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" There are many lifestyle strategies that are proven to reduce the risk of dementia as you age. One of the most robust \u2014 and most studied \u2014 is physical activity. It\u2019s not just good for your muscles and heart, but also your brain. So what kinds of exercise are best? And how much is enough?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":48766,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2,2893,2639,2640],"tags":[19,2503,1023],"class_list":["post-48867","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-blog","category-brain-health","category-health","category-lifestyle","tag-brain-health","tag-fitness","tag-mental-health","wpautop"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nWhat Is Dementia?<\/h2>\n
![\"Senior](\"https:\/\/cdn.foodrevolution.org\/cdn-cgi\/image\/quality=75,format=auto\/foodrevolution.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/iStock-1390899615.jpg\")
The Research on Exercise and Dementia<\/h2>\n
Preventive Effects of Exercise<\/h3>\n
![\"Two](\"https:\/\/cdn.foodrevolution.org\/cdn-cgi\/image\/quality=75,format=auto\/foodrevolution.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/iStock-647090176.jpg\")
Disease Management<\/h3>\n
Why Exercise Benefits the Brain<\/h2>\n
![\"Brain](\"https:\/\/cdn.foodrevolution.org\/cdn-cgi\/image\/quality=75,format=auto\/foodrevolution.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/iStock-1030747556.jpg\")
Increased Blood Flow to the Brain<\/h3>\n
Enhanced Amyloid Beta Turnover<\/h3>\n
![\"Cell](\"https:\/\/cdn.foodrevolution.org\/cdn-cgi\/image\/quality=75,format=auto\/foodrevolution.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/iStock-645057220.jpg\")
Neurogenesis<\/h3>\n
Mood Improvement<\/h3>\n
![\"Conceptual](\"https:\/\/cdn.foodrevolution.org\/cdn-cgi\/image\/quality=75,format=auto\/foodrevolution.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screenshot-2024-05-02-at-1.05.52-PM.png\")
How Much Exercise Is Beneficial?<\/h2>\n
Exercises for Dementia and Alzheimer\u2019s Management and Prevention<\/h2>\n
![\"Active](\"https:\/\/cdn.foodrevolution.org\/cdn-cgi\/image\/quality=75,format=auto\/foodrevolution.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/iStock-1854789223.jpg\")
Aerobic Exercise<\/h3>\n
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Strength and Resistance Training<\/h3>\n
![\"Fit](\"https:\/\/cdn.foodrevolution.org\/cdn-cgi\/image\/quality=75,format=auto\/foodrevolution.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/iStock-647577330.jpg\")
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Balance Exercise<\/h3>\n
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Whole-Body Vibration Exercise<\/h3>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/cdn.foodrevolution.org\/cdn-cgi\/image\/quality=75,format=auto\/foodrevolution.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/Screenshot-2024-05-02-at-1.09.31-PM.png\")
<\/p>\nGet Moving \u2014 Your Brain Depends on It!<\/h2>\n
Tell us in the comments:<\/h4>\n
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Read Next:<\/h4>\n
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