Charles Teves
- At least two hours of moderate exercise a week could lower the chances of getting Alzheimer’s.
Researchers and scientists at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health did a study that found two and a half hours of light exercises a week lowers the chances of developing Alzheimer’s.
The study had 317 respondents whose parents had the disease and would be passed on to them via genetics.
Dr. Ozioma Okonkwo from the university said that people who exercised had lesser chances of experiencing Alzheimer’s symptoms.
“Our research shows that in a late-middle-age population at risk for Alzheimer’s disease, physically active individuals experience fewer age-related alterations in biomarkers associated with the disease, as well as memory and cognitive functioning.”
Respondents, who are registered at the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention, were at the age range between 40 and 65, that exercised for at least 30 minutes a week had weaker biomarkers for the disease as they age.
The researchers analyzed the health and lifestyle factors of the respondents and did assessments every two to four years.
Respondents older than 60 years old have a decrease in cognitive abilities and had higher chances of developing the disease.
Furthermore, adults who exercised for 30 minutes a day for at least 5 days had lesser chances of getting Alzheimer’s.
‘The most interesting part of our research is that we now show evidence that lifestyle habits, in this case regular, moderate exercise, can modify the effect of what is commonly considered a non-modifiable risk factor for Alzheimer’s, in this case, aging.”
The researchers also did a different study of 95 people and found that the effects of the Alzheimer’s were lower in people that do aerobic fitness.
Another study also focused on the brain scans of 107 respondents that were asked to work out on a treadmill in an effort to examine their level of aerobic fitness.
Okonkwo concluded by saying that people who are subjected to get the disease because of genetics should focus more on physical activities to prevent the chances of getting it.
“Overall, these studies suggest that the negative effect of aging and genetic risk on Alzheimer’s’ disease biomarkers and cognition can be lessened in physically active, older adults at risk for the disease compared with their less active peers. If these findings are supported by more prospective, controlled studies, it would provide compelling evidence for physical activity as an effective approach to prevention, particularly in at-risk populations.”
