Dementia: Scientists reveal how often to exercise to prevent decline

Being a so-called weekend warrior when it comes to exercise can be just as good for you as exercising more during the week.

According to the new article in British Journal of Sports Medicine.

The weekend warrior lifestyle can also be more convenient for people with busy schedules, providing a more attainable fitness routine.

“The number of people living with dementia is projected to increase from an estimated 57 million cases worldwide in 2019 to an estimated 153 million cases in 2050,” the researchers wrote in the paper.

They continued: “The proportion of people living with the condition is predicted to increase by around 75 per cent in the UK and other Western European countries and by around 200 per cent in Mexico and other Latin American countries.”

Dementia is a general term used to describe a decline in cognitive function caused by damage or loss of nerve cells in the brain. Alzheimer’s diseasethe most common type, involves the accumulation of protein plaques and tangles in the brain.

Dementia tends to progress, getting worse over time. Early symptoms may include forgetting names or appointments, while advanced stages involve severe memory loss, confusion, language difficulties and loss of independence.

The most important risk factor for cognitive decline and dementia is age. Diet, alcohol, smoking, head trauma, sleep, exercise and social isolation have also been identified as risk factors.

The researchers write: “Cognitive impairment often leads to dementia, and it is important to identify modifiable risk factors because a 5-year delay in onset can halve the prevalence of dementia. However, almost all evidence for potentially modifiable risk factors for cognitive impairment comes from studies in high-income countries,” the researchers write.

Using a data set from Mexico City from 1998 to 2004, as well as from 2015 to 2019, the researchers analyzed how exercise habits were associated with cognitive decline. They divided the participants into four groups: those who do not exercise, those who exercise on weekends, who exercise once or twice a week, people who exercise several times a week, and a mixed group of both categories of exercisers.

Among people later found to have mild cognitive impairment, 26 percent did not exercise, 14 percent were weekend warriors, and 18.5 percent were regularly active.

After taking into account other factors such as age, smoking, sleep, diet and alcohol consumption, the researchers found that weekend warriors were 25 percent less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment than non-exercisers, while those who regularly play sports, this indicator was 11 percent lower. the likelihood of developing mild cognitive disorders.

Using an alternative threshold for mild cognitive impairment, the researchers found that weekend warriors were 13 percent less likely to develop mild cognitive impairment than non-exercisers, while regularly active participants were 12 percent less likely.

“We found that about 10 percent of cases would be eliminated if all middle-aged adults played sports or exercised once or twice a week or more,” the researchers wrote. “To our knowledge, this is the first prospective cohort study to show that the weekend physical activity pattern of soldiers is associated with a reduced risk of mild dementia.”

However, this is only an observational study, which means that it does not necessarily mean that exercise actually affects the risk of cognitive decline. Regardless, the results are important for people trying to reduce any risk factors for dementia.

“This study has important implications for policy and practice because
The weekend warrior’s physical activity pattern may be a more convenient option for busy people around the world,” the researchers write.

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