A study reveals that 35 minutes of physical activity per week are enough to largely reduce the risk of dementia in seniors, far from the official recommendations of 150 minutes weekly.
- An American study reveals that only five minutes of daily exercise, or 35 per week, can reduce the risk of dementia.
- Each slice of 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity decreases the risk of dementia by 4 %. People practicing 35 minutes or less per week reduce it by 41 %, while those performing 36 to 70 minutes decrease it by 60 %.
- And for good reason, physical exercise improves blood circulation, reduces inflammation and stimulates neuronal growth. Even for fragile seniors, moving even a little remains beneficial.
A glimmer of hope for seniors concerned with the prospect of cognitive decline: a study by Johns Hopkins University, in the United States, reveals that even only five minutes of daily exercise could help prevent it. Research, published in the Journal of Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicinesuggests that 35 minutes of moderate physical activity per week are enough to reduce the risk of dementia by 41 %. Be a much lower duration that current 150 -minute weekly recommendations set by the World Health Organization (WHO).
A major public health issue
Dementia, a condition that severely alters cognitive capacity, affects millions of people around the world, including seven million in the United States and 1.2 million in France – Figures that could triple by 2050. No remedy exists to date, which makes prevention essential, in particular through physical activity. And for good reason: it promotes blood circulation in the brain, reduces inflammation and stimulates the growth of new neurons. Exercise also helps control risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes or obesity. Some research even suggests that it could slow the accumulation of toxic proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease (Tau and amyloid).
However, even a small amount of sport seems to have beneficial effects on the brain: “Increasing your physical activity, if only five minutes a day, can reduce the risk of dementia”can we read in a press release. To achieve this observation, the study analyzed the data of almost 90,000 adults of a median age of 63, measuring their physical activity using accelerometers during an average monitoring period of 4.4 years.
The results reveal that each slice of 30 minutes of moderate physical activity in vigorous (MVPA in English) decreases the risk of dementia by 4 %. People practicing 35 minutes (or less) of exercise per week reduce their risk by 41 %, while those performing 36 to 70 minutes benefit from a decrease of 60 %. These figures highlight that the greatest improvement in health comes from the transition from a total absence of exercise to a minimum of activity.
Adapt the exercise to fragile seniors
Many seniors avoid exercise due to their fragility. However, researchers show that the protective effect of physical activity remains valid even in vulnerable elderly people. They thus recommend activities such as fast walking, gardening, dance or even softer exercises, especially seated.
The study suggests that healthcare professionals should encourage more accessible objectives rather than imposing 150 minutes from the weekly at the outset (although these remain the officially recommended thresholds to preserve its overall health). A gradual start would make it possible to avoid the demotivating effect of too demanding recommendations. Caregivers are invited to offer seniors simple strategies to integrate more daily movement: prefer stairs to the elevator, walk to the mailbox, or perform some mobility exercises in front of the television. “Each movement counts.”
