The amount (and intensity) of exercise that delays brain aging

A team of scientists from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), including researchers Ulrik Wisløff and Atefe R. Tari, along with colleagues from the Queensland Brain Institute in Australia, have examined the connection between physical activity, or fitness, and brain health .

It seems that in our daily lives, all the technology moving around us is moving faster and faster, and therefore, we, or rather our bodies, are experiencing a slowdown in activity, and it seems that this could also be happening to our brains. The idea that physical fitness and cognitive well-being are interrelated is not new, but now we have new data that could encourage us to exercise a little more every day.

The study, published in the British medical journal The Lancet , demonstrates that the brain undoubtedly benefits from physical activity, as resistance training and good physical fitness can reduce the risk of dementia and promote healthy brain aging. Even small amounts of high-intensity exercise can provide this benefit to the health of our thinking organ (as well as to the heart, our engine).

"We summarized research that clearly indicates that exercise is not only important for the heart, but also for the brain. Physical activity appears to be one of the most promising measures we have for preventing cognitive decline and dementia ," explains Atefe R. Tari, one of the authors of the paper.

Considering that the world's population is aging rapidly and that cognitive disorders are on the rise, knowing this fact is not only interesting but also useful (and very necessary).

To reach this conclusion, experts reviewed all available information from animal and human studies to discover how physical activity influences biological processes in the brain. It turns out that as we age, inflammation also increases, but blood flow decreases, our immune system becomes somewhat deficient, and brain plasticity also decreases. This combination of factors makes the brain much more vulnerable to neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia, Parkinson's, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Fortunately, we can do something to slow or even reverse these age-related changes. Brain repair and communication get a boost in those who engage in physical activity. Currently, the recommendation is at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity per week, although, according to experts, between 50 and 70% of the population doesn't meet these physical activity recommendations. But even exercising less than the recommended amount of time can still bring positive benefits, as long as the training intensity is high , of course. Instead of long sessions at the gym, experts say that microtraining integrates exercise into daily life without requiring great effort or planning that we may not be able to achieve later. For example, brisk stair climbing or short sprints at home are some of the best ideas for these high-intensity microtraining sessions that we can practice at any time. The key, therefore, is less time, but more intensity.

“We believe it's time for health authorities to offer clearer recommendations on the importance of exercise for the brain. Our review shows that even small doses of high-intensity activity, equivalent to brisk walking without being able to sing, can reduce the risk of dementia by up to 40%,” the researchers concluded.

A team of scientists from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), including researchers Ulrik Wisløff and Atefe R. Tari, along with colleagues from the Queensland Brain Institute in Australia, have examined the connection between physical activity, or fitness, and brain health .