Reduce Your Risk Of Developing Dementia By Regularly Performing This Activity

Dementia is a condition associated with failing memory, speech, or having language problems. This affects the ability of an individual to do various routine activities.

This neurological condition is not actually a natural part of aging. In some people, however, dementia tends to develop as people advance in age. During this time, their brain functioning also declines. Having a family member suffer from dementia can be particularly distressing for the rest of the family.

The Early Signs

Some of the early warning symptoms include impaired judgment and memory loss. At this point, many people associate it with the normal process of aging.

This is why early detection is sometimes tricky. As days, weeks, and months go by; however, you may notice the symptoms becoming worse, which include the patient feeling isolated from those that surround them.

Risk Factors

Although dementia’s most prominent risk factor is age or getting older, studies have shown that lifestyle decisions can impact whether or not a person is at risk of developing this condition. Smoking and alcohol use have been found to increase the risk of dementia considerably. Those who smoke are at higher risks of various ailments like atherosclerosis and many other forms of vascular diseases.

Experts say these illnesses increase the risk of dementia. Other risk factors include having high LDL cholesterol levels, diabetes, and mild cognitive impairment, as well as genetics or family history.

Fortunately, making some lifestyle changes can lower the risk of developing the neurological condition. It can also delay the onset of dementia symptoms. Research indicates one particular activity that can help achieve this.

Cardiorespiratory Fitness Activities Help

Performing regular physical activities is very effective in reducing dementia risk. Dozens of studies have already proven this to be true.

A recent study, the results of which were published in The Lancet Public Health, says that exercising can help stave off dementia. Researchers found that cardiorespiratory fitness exercises were able to lower dementia risk in persons above 60 years old.

Atefe Tari, the lead researcher of Cardiac Exercise Research Group based in Norwegian University of Science and Technology, said cardiorespiratory fitness exercises could help participants live two more years without dementia.

Tari and her team arrived at this conclusion by measuring the fitness level of the study’s participants twice a decade apart. This method allowed the researchers to analyze how changes in fitness are linked to dementia risk.

According to Tari, if cardiorespiratory fitness is increased from poor to good, the risk of suffering dementia is cut by 50%. The risk of dying from the ailment is also reduced.