Exercising that old body can keep a man’s mind in shape
December 28, 2004
Older men can reduce the risk of dementia and mental decline by taking regular physical exercise.
Researchers revealed yesterday the results of a 10-year study undertaken by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands. It showed a link between good mental health and high levels of physical activity.
Scientists began their examination of 295 men from Finland, Italy and the
Netherlands in 1990. The men chosen were all born between 1900 and 1920 and the
study focused on the extent to which they engaged in exercises such as walking,
cycling and gardening.
Men who reduced their daily exercise by an hour or more over the decade-long
survey showed a mental decline of more than two-and-a-half times that of the men
who maintained their exercise levels.
Those men who undertook the least strenuous activities experienced a mental
deterioration up to three-and-a-half times that of men who took more vigorous
exercise.
Boukje van Gelder, chief researcher, said: "Our study suggests that being
physically active in old age could keep the brain fit."
Exercise is thought to improve the flow of blood to the brain and and reduce the risk of strokes and dementia.
More than 750,000 people in the UK are estimated to suffer from dementia. A recent poll ranked the UK bottom in a study of six European countries for the time between the initial symptoms of the condition and a formal diagnosis being made. Anti-dementia drugs are at their most effective in the early stages of the illness.
Jim Jackson, chief executive of Alzheimer Scotland, said the research into
the condition is not as extensive as that of other areas, such as the dangers of
smoking.
"But if you're putting a strategy together then any cardiovascular exercise
must be good," he said.
Age Concern Scotland recommends common pursuits such as swimming and walking to aid mental health. They also point to the increasing popularity of the celebrity endorsed practices of Pilates and T'ai Chi among elderly people.
Robbie Robinson, secretary of the T'ai Chi Union of Great Britain, is based in Glasgow and teaches groups in the Shettleston and Balornock areas. His work with the elderly has convinced him of the benefits of exercise on general health.
He said: "A lot of the work I do is with the elderly. I certainly believe that the more active they are the better their well-being in the end.
"I once had a conversation with a woman in her seventies from one of my groups and she was convinced that she had been given more of a spirit for life by coming along to the class."
Source: The Herald, 28/12/2004
Fit Body, Fit Mind
December 29, 2004
(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- Longer, more intense physical activity can help maintain cognitive skills in people as they age, according to a new study.
Researchers reviewed data on 295 men born between 1900 and 1920 from the Finland, Italy, and Netherlands Elderly (FINE) study. The length and intensity of physical activities of the participants was measured and cognitive function was evaluated starting in 1990.
Results show over 10 years, men who reduced their daily physical activity by an hour or more had 2.6-times more cognitive decline than men who maintained their physical activity.
The study shows men who engaged in the lowest intensity activities (walking less than three miles per day) had more than triple the amount of cognitive decline vs. men who maintained more intense physical activity.
Researchers believe physical activity can help preserve brain function by improving blood flow to the brain and helping to stimulate the growth of nerve cells in a brain region involved in memory function.
Authors conclude, "Our study suggests that being physically active in old age could keep the brain fit."
SOURCE: Neurology, published online Dec. 27, 2004
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