Preventing dementia: Just nine minutes of exercise a day will get your brain fit

Dementia is unpredictable and can affect anyone. The continuous degradation of mental and cognitive abilities, which can lead to loss of memory, language, memory and a change in personality, is affecting more and more people.

The number of dementia cases will increase by 40 percent

In Germany alone, 1.8 million people suffer from dementia, and the number of cases increases by around 440,000 every year – and the trend is rising. According to a study by the World Health Organization (WHO), the number of dementia cases worldwide will increase by around 40 percent by 2030. The reason for this: demographic change and the changing lifestyle factors of modern society.

However, more and more studies show that everyone can reduce their own risk of disease. In addition to a balanced diet, a generally healthy lifestyle and memory training, regular exercise is an elementary preventive measure. But how much movement should it be? Researchers from the UCL Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care in London – and came to an amazing result.

Dementia study examines 4500 subjects

In their overview study, the scientists examined data from around 4,500 subjects with an average age of 47 years. In the analysis, they took into account demographic data, level of education, possible previous illnesses and lifestyle, including alcohol and cigarette consumption.

All subjects were born in England, Scotland or Wales in 1970. The researchers followed them throughout their childhood and adulthood.

During the investigation period of seven days, they equipped the participants with an accelerometer, an acceleration sensor that was supposed to record their daily movement behavior. In addition, the subjects underwent various cognitive tests that served to record memory and language skills.

To record movement behavior, the researchers differentiated between

• sitting and lying activities,
• light physical activity (such as walking and normal activities around the house or office),
• moderate or vigorous physical activity (such as brisk walking or running) as well as
• the bedtime.

Anyone who moves intensively is fit in the head

The result: Moderate and intense physical activity shows a positive correlation with cognitive performance. The subjects who engaged in more intense physical activity showed significantly better results in the cognitive tests than comparison subjects who exercised less intensively.

As study author John Mitchell explains, even short periods of intense exercise of around six to nine minutes lead to significantly better test results – regardless of demographic factors and usual lifestyle factors of the subjects such as alcohol consumption or smoking.

This is how much time the subjects spent on an average day with the different intensities of movement:

• moderate or intense physical activity: 51 minutes
• light physical activities: 5 hours 42 minutes
• sedentary activities: 9 hours 16 minutes
• bedtime: 8 hours and 11 minutes

9 minutes of exercise significantly increase cognitive performance

The researchers’ goal was to find out what effects shifting the time shares of the different categories has. The findings:

• Replaces one per day alone nine minutes of sedentary activity with nine minutes of moderate or vigorous physical activitya significant increase in cognitive performance can be achieved.
• One Reducing moderate or vigorous physical activity, on the other hand, led to an immediate decrease in cognitive performance. If eight minutes of physical activity alone were replaced with sitting, six minutes of light physical activity, or seven minutes with sleep, there was a significant decrease in cognitive abilities.

However, the researchers also emphasize that the impact of each activity must be considered in the context of the associated occupations. Sedentary activities do not necessarily have a negative cognitive effect if one learns or reads while sitting – the situation is different with television.

In a comment for the specialist portal “MedscapeJennifer J. Heisz, associate professor and holder of the Canada Research Chair in Brain Health and Aging, Department of Kinesiology, McMaster University Hamilton, Canada, said the study results were important. “Through statistical modeling, the authors show that swapping just nine minutes of sedentary activity for moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, such as a brisk walk or bike ride, was associated with an improvement in cognitive abilities.” apply to sedentary activities.

She advises that physicians should therefore encourage their patients to include a brisk ten-minute walk in their daily routine and to break long periods of sitting with short breaks in movement.

But what exactly is meant by moderate and intensive exercise?

The following sports correspond to the criteria of World Health Organisation (WHO) moderate forms of exercise:

• brisk walking or Nordic walking
• To go biking
• To swim
• Ergometertraining
• Dance

On the other hand, intensive forms of exercise include:

• Jog
• fast cycling
• fast swim

Better supply of oxygen-rich blood to the brain

The scientists justify the positive effects of exercise on the cognitive reserves with the generally positive effects of regular physical activity on health. Intense forms of exercise in particular, which raise the pulse, help to transport more oxygen-rich blood to the vital organs, especially the brain. Nerve cells can thus network more densely and exchange information better.

Sport also has a positive effect on numerous other risk factors associated with dementia. These include:

• high blood pressure
• overweight
• Diabetes
• Depression

Regular, moderate or intense endurance sessions

• lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels
• counteract obesity
• reduce the risk of developing diabetes mellitus, heart attacks and strokes,
• protect against vascular calcification and thus against vascular dementia and
• prevent depressive moods.

Other risk factors that can be influenced

In addition to the risk factors mentioned, there are others, some of which you can actively prevent. These include:

• deafness: Even mild hearing loss can double the risk of dementia.
• A low level of education: Alzheimer’s and similar diseases mainly affect people with a lower level of education. While it is not entirely in your hands to achieve a high level of education, you can regularly challenge yourself cognitively. Learn a new language, a musical instrument, dance, play Memories or otherwise continue your education.
• head injuries: In fact, even a minor concussion many years later can double the risk of dementia. The risk increases even more if the head injury is real and/or if there has been unconsciousness.
• Alcohol: Alcohol not only damages the nerve cells, but also loosens their connections. The limit from when alcohol damages the brain is about half a liter of beer per day for men, women should not drink more than a quarter of a liter.
• Smoking: Anyone who smokes for more than 20 years has twice the risk of dementia as non-smokers, which various studies have shown. The cause is the ingredients in the smoke that promote arteriosclerosis. Clogged, damaged vessels can no longer adequately supply tissue, which results in the breakdown of nerve cells.
• Lonliness: Anyone who lives alone or is widowed has an increased risk of developing dementia, since brain function is also dependent on social contacts.
• Air pollution and particulate matter: Nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, especially ultra-fine dust from combustion vehicles, have been shown to damage the brain.