Ten minutes of light exercise protects against dementia

Even light exercise keeps our brains healthy

Unfortunately, more and more cases of dementia are occurring worldwide. What options are there to prevent dementia? Researchers have now found that even light exercise such as walking, yoga or tai chi protect against the disease.

Scientists at the University of California, Irvine and the University of Tsukuba in Japan have found in their joint study that even very light workouts increase the connectivity between parts of the brain responsible for memory formation and information storage. The physicians published the results of their study in the English-language journal "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences".

Yoga is an Indian lesson that is becoming increasingly popular in Europe. Yoga is one of the six classical schools (Darshanas) of Indian philosophy. Some meditative forms of yoga focus on mental concentration, others more on physical exercises. (Image: Robert Kneschke / fotolia.com)

Even short walks have a positive effect on the brain

Light physical activity, such as yoga or tai chi, can help keep the brain healthy. In addition, even short walks during the day have a significant impact on improving memory and our cognition, explains study author Professor Michael Yassa of the University of California, Irvine.

Ten minutes of light physical effort can make all the difference

In the current study of 36 healthy young adults, the researchers discovered that even a single 10-minute period of mild exertion can bring significant cognitive benefits. Using high-resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging, the team examined the subjects' brains shortly after the training sessions, noting a better link between the so-called hippocampal dental gyrus and cortical areas associated with detailed memory processing.

Improvement of the function of the hippocampus is very promising

The hippocampus is crucial for creating new memories, it is one of the first brain regions that deteriorates with age. In Alzheimer's, this negative process is much stronger, explains Professor Yassa. "The improvement in the function of the hippocampus is very promising to improve the memory in everyday life," adds the expert in a press release.

Training led to immediate effects

Sport intensified communication between memory-focused parts of the brain. The possibility of creating new cells should not be forgotten, but this is a process that takes a little longer, explain the physicians. "What we observed was that these 10-minute workouts showed results immediately thereafter," explains Professor Yassa in the University of California press release, Irvine.

It is good to count his steps

It is encouraging to see more people watching their exercise habits, for example by monitoring the number of their steps, the expert says. Even short walks on foot during the day can have a significant impact on improving memory and perception.

Further research is being carried out

Professor Yassa and his colleagues at the UCI and the University of Tsukuba are currently testing out older adults who are at a higher risk for age-related mental retardation, whether they are performing regular, short, light exercises performed daily over several weeks or months long-term positive effect on the structure and function of the brain. (As)