Could doing THIS during your leisure time help you stay sharp longer?
You might think of disability as something that happens after a devastating fall… a serious car accident… or major surgery.
But there’s another HUGE culprit that could SABOTAGE your ability to take care of yourself… and stay independent…
And that’s dementia.
When this form of cognitive impairment strikes, it could FORCE you to leave your home…
And SEPARATE you from your loved ones.
But you don’t have to let that happen.
Because the latest research out of Japan shows that there’s a way to LOWER the risk for disabling dementia.
The only catch? You’ve got to start as SOON as possible.
In the new study I just mentioned, researchers followed Japanese folks over the course of 10 years.
NONE of the participants had dementia at the beginning of the study.
By the end of the study, the subjects who’d had the MOST physical activity over that period of time were LEAST likely to be diagnosed with disabling dementia.
Now, these WEREN’T athletes…
But simply regular men and women who spent their leisure time engaging in moderate to vigorous physical activity.
I’m talking about hitting the links…
Gardening…
Playing tennis…
Or even taking a swim.
Now, this doesn’t prove that lack of exercise CAUSED dementia disability… or that increased exercise definitely PREVENTED it.
In fact, dementia often causes limited mobility in folks… which could explain why some subjects’ physical activity was on the lower end.
But OTHER research has clearly shown benefits of exercise for cognitive health…
Including a Harvard study published at the end of last year, in which even LIGHT physical activity was associated with improved odds against dementia.
This doesn’t appear to be just a coincidence.
Because another study published earlier this year found that greater physical activity later in life was associated with positive changes in the brain…
Including STRONGER synaptic connections.
Your synapses are what allow your brain cells to “talk” to each other…
But folks with dementia tend to LOSE synapses in their brains.
And the ones they do keep? They become WEAKER.
That could contribute to the brain “misfiring.”
Fortunately, experts say that just over 20 minutes a day might be enough to help build up those brain connections.
That could mean simply walking your pup… taking your bike out for a spin… or getting out on the dancefloor at the next family wedding.
There is one takeaway from the Japanese study you should know about.
The OLDER the subjects were… the LESS of an effect physical exercise had in staving off dementia disability.
That tells me it’s important to get moving NOW!
And if the weather has improved where you are… as it has here in Baltimore, where HSI is based… there’s no time like the present!
