Ongoing physical activity has been linked to a longer life and all
kinds of benefits for the body, including less heart disease, fewer falls and
broken bones, greater lung function and a trimmer physique. Now, two new
studies provide further evidence that regular exercise may be good for staying
mentally sharp into old age. Resistance training, in which the body works
against weight, may have particular benefits for the brain. The studies were
published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the medical journals
from the American Medical Association.
In one study, researchers from Vancouver, Canada, divided 155 women
ages 65 to 75 into three groups. Each followed different exercise regimens over
the course of a year. In one group, 54 of the women did resistance training
exercises once a week; in another, 52 women did twice weekly resistance
training. Resistance training exercises emphasize strengthening the muscles and
include the use of weights or lifting one’s own body weight, as in doing
push-ups or pull-ups. The remaining 49 women served as controls, participating
in twice-a-week classes that focused on balance and muscle tone training rather
than resistance.
After a year, women in both of the resistance training groups scored
higher on mental acuity tests that measured mental focus and attention than
those in the balance and muscle tone group. They also scored higher on conflict
resolution tests, and they were stronger.
“This has important clinical implications because cognitive impairment
is a major health problem that currently lacks a clearly effective
pharmaceutical therapy,” the authors wrote. In addition, they noted,
“resistance training is not widely adopted by seniors.” The amount of exercise
that the researchers assigned was moderate and within the range of exercise
programs commonly recommended for seniors.
In the second study, researchers in Germany found that regular exercise
was associated with reduced memory and thinking problems in older adults. Men
and women, ages 55 and up, who engaged in moderate or high physical activity
over a two-year period scored higher on cognitive exams than their sedentary
peers.
The researchers assessed the exercise habits of, and performed memory
tests on, nearly 4,000 older men and women in southern Bavaria, beginning in
2001. At the start of the study, 418 participants, or 10.7, percent showed
signs of memory and thinking problems. After two years, 207, or 5.9 percent, of
the initially healthy study participants developed memory problems.
Among those who rarely exercise, the incidence of new cognitive
problems was 13.9 percent. In contrast, the incidence was considerably lower
among those who exercise moderately (6.7 percent) or at high intensity (5.1
percent).
The study didn’t distinguish between specific types of exercise, like
aerobic activities versus balance or strength training. Nor did it look at
particular hobbies like walking or ballroom dancing, which earlier studies have
shown may help keep the brain sharp. But the results add further weight to the
idea that regular exercise can help keep the mind alert and lower the risk of
cognitive problems, and maybe even Alzheimer’s disease, in old age.
A study last year, for example, from Rush University Medical Center in
Chicago found that older adults who maintain their muscle strength are at lower
risk of memory problems and Alzheimer’s disease than their same-aged peers.
Those who were stronger were also less likely to have mild cognitive
impairment, a form of memory loss that, while not as severe as Alzheimer’s,
sometimes precedes the disease.
It may be especially important to exercise and adopt other healthy
lifestyle measures early in life, given mounting evidence that Alzheimer's risk
can be cut by exercise during midlife. Alzheimer’s is a complex disease that
likely depends on many factors, including the genes you inherit. Lifestyle
factors are likely just one part of the preventive puzzle. While a twice-a-week
visit to the gym won’t guarantee a physically and mentally robust old age, it
may help you to look, feel, and act younger.
By www.ALZinfo.org [1], The Alzheimer's Information Site. Reviewed by
William J. Netzer [2], Ph.D., Fisher Center for Alzheimer's Research Foundation
at The Rockefeller University.
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