Being more mindful of our health and fitness becomes increasingly important the older we get if we’re to avoid the onset of chronic health conditions like arthritis, stroke, heart disease, cancer, diabetes and so on.
One of the biggest issues that it’s important to be aware of, however, is dementia, which is now considered to be the UK’s biggest killer.
That said, it’s also important to note that cognitive decline doesn’t have to be an accepted part of getting older and there’s a lot you can do to reduce the risks and afford yourself a greater level of protection against diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Interestingly, it seems that one of the best ways to protect yourself is to get more exercise, with new research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health revealing that just five minutes of light exercise every day could help prevent dementia, even in frail older adults.
It was found that getting as little as 35 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise each week (compared to a baseline of none whatsoever) was linked to a 41 per cent drop in the risk of dementia over an average four-year follow-up period.
Ultimately, the conclusion was drawn that the more physically active people are, the lower their risk of developing the disease.
Similarly, research from University College London published at the start of the year found that there is a link between lifelong regular physical activity and changes in the brain, which could help reduce the risks of dementia in later life.
Commenting on the findings, head of policy and public affairs at Alzheimer’s Research UK David Thomas said: “Dementia is not an inevitable part of aging, and finding ways to prevent people from ever developing it is a vital part of our mission for a cure.
“Studies like Insight46 have highlighted not just what factors influence brain health, but also at what point in a person’s life these factors have the most impact.”
“In fact, research has shown that nearly half of dementia cases can be prevented or delayed by addressing health and lifestyle risk factors. This means there are things that all of us can do to reduce our risk, such as keeping physically active.”
How to get more exercise later in life
If you’ve been inactive for a while, it can be hard to find the motivation to start exercising more – so the key is to take your time and focus on making small incremental changes to daily life so you have something to build on.
Walking around the house while on the phone, for example, can help you increase the number of steps you take each day. Gardening more outside can also help you move more frequently, as can walking to the shops instead of driving.
You can facilitate this even more by always taking the stairs instead of using the lift, parking further away from the shops or getting off the bus a stop earlier than you would normally do.
It might sound a bit silly at first but making little changes such as this can add up to a big difference over time. Before you know it, you’ll be moving more and more!
If you’d like any further help or support, have a chat with your private nurse to see what insights they might have.
