The benefits of exercise have been well-established over the years. Now, there may be even more incentive to dust off those sneakers and take a walk or jog around the neighborhood.
Three separate studies presented this week at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference in the District of Columbia suggest that regular physical activity may stave off the risk for Alzheimer’s disease, mild cognitive impairment, aka MCI, or dementia.
More specifically, the studies examined the effects of aerobic exercise on Alzheimer’s disease, vascular cognitive impairment – weakened thinking abilities due to damaged blood vessels in the brain – and MCI, a stage between normal aging and dementia.
The Danish ADEX study included 200 people ages 50 to 90 with Alzheimer’s disease who were randomly assigned to either a supervised 60-minute exercise session three times per week for 16 weeks, or no exercise. Those assigned to the exercise program had fewer symptoms of anxiety, irritability and depression – common burdens of Alzheimer’s disease. In addition to improved physical fitness, a subgroup of the exercise group showed significant improvements in mental speed and attention.
Another study included 65 sedentary adults ages 55 to 89 with MCI, randomly assigned to either a supervised aerobic training regimen of moderate to high intensity or a stretching group for 45 to 60 minutes four times per week for six months. Those assigned to aerobic exercise had significantly lower levels of tau proteins – a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease – compared with the stretching group. This group also exhibited increased blood flow in the memory and processing region of the brain, in addition to improvements in attention, planning and organization abilities.
The third study included 71 adults ages 56 to 96 with vascular cognitive impairment. One-half of the group completed aerobic exercise three times per week for 60 minutes with fitness instructors, while another received no fitness instruction but completed an education seminar on nutrition once monthly. Those who exercised had significant improvements in both memory and attention.
“Based on the results we heard reported [today] at AAIC 2015, exercise or regular physical activity might play a role in both protecting your brain from Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias, and also living better with the disease if you have it,” said Maria Carrillo, the Alzheimer’s Association’s chief science officer, in a press release.