ANY PHYSICAL ACTIVITY VOLUME IN MIDDLE AGE is associated with better cognition in later life. That’s the central finding of a new research study published online in February 2023 in the Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry.
I have often written about the relationship between exercise and cognition. Here’s my piece on how much activity you need to improve your cognition:
I have written about particular exercises that can provide a brain boost:
Historical studies have demonstrated a positive relationship between fitness training and cognitive benefits later in life. The current study focuses on whether the type or timing of exercise influences later life cognition.
“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.”
― Plutarch
Exercise timing and future cognition
The good news? Any physical activity volume in middle age is linked to better cognition in later life. Let’s look at the new prospective study 0f 1400 individuals that leads to this conclusion.
Individuals who got any amount of exercise in adulthood had much better cognitive scores later in life (than their counterparts who were physically inactive).
Doing exercise throughout adulthood appeared to have the strongest association with subsequent mental sharpness.
Although these associations lessened when investigators controlled for childhood cognitive ability, socioeconomic background, and education, they remained statistically significant.
Sarah-Naomi James, Ph.D., a research fellow at the Medical Research Council Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing at the University College London (United Kingdom), told Medscape Medical News:
“We provide evidence to encourage inactive adults to be active even to a small extent…at any point during adulthood, which can improve cognition and memory later in life.”
Details
The investigators asked more than 1400 participants in the 1946 British birth cohort how much they exercised at ages 36, 43, 60, and 69.
The questions differed slightly for each assessment, but in general, researchers asked participants if, in the past month, they had exercised or participated in such activities as badminton, swimming, fitness exercises, yoga, dancing, football, mountain climbing, jogging, or brisk walks for 30 minutes or more. If yes, the subjects answered how often they did the monthly activity.
Prior research showed that when the participants were aged 60 years, the most common activities were walking (71%), swimming (33%), floor exercises (24%), and cycling (15%).
When the study participants turned 69, they had cognitive testing to measure attention, orientation, verbal fluency, memory, language, and visuospatial function.
Researchers divided physical activity into the following categories:
- Inactive
- Moderately active (one to four times monthly)
- Most active (five or more times monthly)
They summed the totals across five assessments, creating a total score ranging from 0 (inactive at all ages) to five (active at all ages).
My take
Being physically active at all study times appeared linked to better cognitive performance, verbal memory, and processing speed at age 69.
Exercising in any volume in adulthood (even only once a month) appeared associated with better cognition in later life (than physically inactive participants).
The information I provided in this blog is for educational purposes only and does not substitute for professional medical advice. Please consult a medical professional or healthcare provider for medical advice, diagnoses, or treatment. I am not liable for risks or issues associated with using or acting upon the information in this blog.
Thank you for reading “Exercise and Cognition.”
