‘Dementia’: Scientists reveal how regular exercise can help prevent dementia

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

Regular physical activity on the weekend can reduce the risk of cognitive decline to the same extent as regular exercise throughout the week, according to a new paper. British Journal of Sports Medicine.

The weekend warrior lifestyle can also be convenient for people with busy schedules, providing an affordable way to exercise.

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

They continued: “The number 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 countries of Latin America.”

‘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 disease, which is the most common form, affects the accumulation of protein plaques and brain shrinkage.

Dementia is often progressive, getting worse over time. Early symptoms may include forgetting names or meetings, while advanced stages include 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 injuries, sleep, exercise and isolation have also been identified as risk factors.

The researchers wrote: “Cognitive impairment often leads to dementia and it is important to identify modifiable risk factors because a 5-year delay can halve the prevalence of dementia. Although thus, almost all the evidence on potential risk factors for mental retardation will come from studies in high-income countries,” the researchers wrote.

Using data from Mexico City from between 1998 and 2004, and another from between 2015 and 2019, researchers analyzed how exercise patterns are related to cognitive decline. They divided the participants into four groups: people who don’t exercise, weekend warriors who exercise once or twice a week, people who exercise several times a week and a mixed group of two exercise groups.

Of those later diagnosed with mild mental retardation, 26 percent did not exercise, 14 percent were weekend warriors, and 18.5 percent were was always active.

When other factors were taken into account, such as age, smoking, sleep, diet and alcohol consumption, the researchers found that weekend warriors were 25 percent less likely to have mild cognitive impairment than than those who did not exercise, while those who exercised regularly had an 11 percent reduction. the possibility of mild mental retardation.

Using an alternative for cognitive dysfunction, the researchers found that weekend warriors were 13 percent less likely to have cognitive impairment than non-exercisers, while regular participants were they were 12 percent lower.

“We found that about 10 percent of cases would be eliminated if all middle-aged people participated in sports or exercise once or twice a week or more often,” the researchers wrote. “To our knowledge, this is the first prospective cohort study to show that weekend warrior exercise is associated with a reduced risk of mild dementia.”

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

“This research has important implications for policy and practice because
“the weekend warrior workout routine may be a more convenient option for busy people around the world,” the researchers wrote.

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