Daily Walking Routine may Reduce Dementia Risk
Dementia affects nearly one million UK residents, with the condition touching one in every 11 people over the age of 65, NHS figures show. Yet, an expert has revealed that warding off this life-altering syndrome might be as simple as increasing your daily walks.
It’s well-known that many strive to hit the somewhat magical figure of 10,000 steps per day, often religiously checking health apps to track progress. However, ageing and health specialist Professor Claire Steves from King’s College London suggests that a brisk walk lasting 45 minutes, undertaken three times a week, could significantly enhance your brain power.
During a previous discussion on the ZOE Podcast, she said: “So, to improve your cognitive health, you need to do more exercise than you’re doing now – up to a point – unless you’re an Olympic athlete. That’s the key thing. If we look at really big population studies, we can see effects, even with minimal levels of exercise and it’s fairly linear…So, whatever you’re doing, if you go up by a third, you’ll be improving yourself.”
Dementia is characterised by a deterioration in cognitive functions, severely affecting one’s memory, thought processes, and independent decision-making capabilities. The condition can profoundly disrupt daily life, often resulting in increased emotional distress and confusion. Professor Steves said that exercising regularly may help to strengthen your ‘cognitive reserve’ – referring to your brain’s capacity to think on the spot and deal with tricky situations. With dementia, these cognitive reserve levels are severely limited.
Your lifestyle choices, including what you eat, play a significant role in maintaining cognitive health too. Previous research has even showed that maintaining a Mediterranean-style diet – packed with greens, seafood and wholegrains – can slash your dementia risk by 23% across a nine-year period. This may occur even if you are genetically predisposed to the condition.
More recently, the University of Oxford also shone a light on the shocking links between dementia, type two diabetes and heart disease, with a high sugar diet causing you to ‘age’ faster. Professor Steves summarised: “Because the brain is hugely metabolically active, it needs a lot of nutrients… And we know that a wide variety of plant-based nutrients is really important for brain health.”
These findings highlight the importance of physical exercise and a balanced diet in maintaining cognitive health and potentially reducing the risk of dementia. Incorporating regular walks and healthy eating habits into your lifestyle may have long-term benefits for brain function and overall well-being. It’s never too late to start taking care of your brain health, and simple lifestyle changes could make a significant difference in the long run.