Regular physical activity is one of the best things that you can do to reduce your risk of developing dementia experts say.
A lack of physical exercise is one of the main factors where the evidence is strong enough to show that it increases a person’s risk of developing dementia. Studies looking at the effect of exercise in middle-aged or older adults have reported improvements in thinking and memory, and reduced rates of dementia. However, physicians agree that a lifelong approach to good health is the best way to lower your risk of dementia.
Research has shown that people who take regular exercise may be up to 20% less likely to develop dementia than those who don't take regular exercise. This came from some analysis that combined the results of 58 studies into exercise and dementia.
It has been shown that going from being inactive to doing some amount of exercise has the biggest impact. Sustaining physical activity throughout midlife also seems to have the best effect on reducing dementia risk.
There is some evidence to show older people can also reduce their risk of dementia with regular exercise. One study looked at the amount of daily activity of older people. The ones who exercised the least (the bottom 10%) were more than twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s disease as the ones who exercised the most (the top 10%).
‘Physical activity’ usually refers to aerobic exercise (activity which increases the heart rate) performed for 20–30 minutes at a time. Most of the studies report on the effects of aerobic exercise done several times a week and maintained for at least a year.
Physical exercise does not just mean playing a sport or running. It can also mean a daily activity such as brisk walking, cleaning or gardening. One study found that daily physical tasks such as cooking and washing up can reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.
There are two main types of physical activity – aerobic activity and strength-building activity. Each type will keep you fit in different ways. Doing a combination of these activities will help you to reduce your risk of dementia.
Source: https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/manag...

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