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Everybody knows EXERCISE Good for you. Whether you’re taking a brisk walk around the block or working out at the gym, every move counts. That being said, is there a decade in your life where exercise has extra benefits for your brain?
When it comes to keeping your brain sharp, scientists have calculated the exact age at which exercise matters most. this JAMA Network Open Research published earlier this month found that prioritizing exercise over a certain decade can significantly reduce the risk of dementia.
What is the special number? Read on to learn more.
When exercise can prevent dementia
Scientists have been studying the effects of exercise on the body for decades. The obvious conclusion is that, yes, exercise always helps. But exercise seems best at preserving your cognitive abilities middle-Forties to mid-sixties.
Researchers gathered physical activity information from 4,354 people in the prestigious Framingham Heart Study to understand how exercise affects their brains at each stage of life. (The study began in 1948, but they recruited a new group of participants around 1971).
Over the course of the study, 567 people developed dementia. People who engage in higher levels of moderate or heavy activity in midlife (defined as ages 45 to 64) have a 40% lower risk of developing dementia than those who are not physically active.
Researchers also discovered an important reason why middle-aged people continue to exercise during their prime years. People who exercise regularly after age 65 are 45% less likely to develop dementia than their sedentary peers.
“We used this approach to better understand which times or points in a person’s life when physical activity has the greatest impact on reducing the risk of dementia, which may ultimately lead to more precise and effective strategies for preventing dementia,” said study co-author Phillip Hwang, Ph.D., assistant professor of epidemiology at Boston University School of Public Health.
Could exercising in your thirties reduce your risk of dementia?
There are many reasons why you should exercise early in life. But in the current study, researchers determined that the real benefits to cognitive abilities occurred in those who continued to exercise into midlife and beyond. There was no link between physical activity in early adulthood and reduced risk of Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia in people in early adulthood (26-44 years old).
Why is exercise more important in later life?
Doctors say there are several reasons behind this. “Exercise in midlife can improve cardiovascular health in later life,” explains Amit Sachdev, MD, MS, medical director of the Department of Neurology at Michigan State University. He points out that your brain health and heart health are related. So if your heart is in good shape, your brain is probably in good shape too.
Exercise also improves blood flow to the brain. That’s important in reducing the risk of vascular dementia, said neurologist Clifford Segil of Providence St. John’s Health Center. People with this type of dementia experience problems with memory and concentration due to blocked or reduced blood flow to the brain. Huang added that, in general, regular exercise improves brain structure and function, reduces inflammation and enhances blood vessel function.
Huang added that physical activity may also directly affect other factors that contribute to Alzheimer’s disease, such as the accumulation of beta-amyloid. Still, more work needs to be done to see if this is the primary way exercise prevents Alzheimer’s.
Can exercise be postponed until the age of 40?
Segiel stresses that these findings don’t mean you should take it easy at a young age. “The benefit of exercising at an early age is that it ages you,” he said. “Sedentary living in youth can cause more health problems than memory loss as we age. Starting healthy habits early can allow you to live long enough without worrying about memory loss in old age.” As a bonus, these good habits will also help your body protect against future heart disease and stroke.
So if you’re always active, keep doing it—you’ll feel good knowing you’re making your brain healthier through a lifetime of exercise. But if you haven’t been exercising diligently lately, these findings might give you the extra motivation you need to get back to the gym. Your brain will thank you in the long run.
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