Brain health experts agree that maintaining social relationships and keeping a healthy, anti-inflammatory diet like the MIND diet can do wonders to stave off dementia and cognitive decline.
Now, new research indicates that doing a relatively simple activity just twice a week may also aid in dementia prevention, and other studies have already shown it can help boost memory almost immediately.
What To Do Twice a Week To Help Prevent Dementia
As it turns out, strength training just twice a week may seriously boost your brain health, especially if you're 60 years old or older.
New research published in GeroScience examined 44 people with mild cognitive impairment(as in, their cognitive health was somewhat declined beyond what's considered normal for brain aging and a risk factor for Alzheimer's or dementia). Over the course of six months, half of the participants strength-trained with a moderate- to high-intensity, progressive loading program twice a week. (This means, essentially, that the weights involved increased gradually over time as they got stronger.)
Results showed that the strength-training participants had improved memory performance, but the positive impacts went even further: Researchers say that after six months of strength training, participants also showed protection against deterioration of the hippocampus and precuneus, two areas of the brain that are closely linked to developing Alzheimer's. They also may have better neuron health, according to the study.
"We already knew that there would be physical improvement," lead study author Isadora Cristina Ribeiro, FAPESP doctoral fellowship recipient at State University of Campinas (UNICAMP) School of Medical Sciences (FCM) in São Paulo, Brazil, said in a statement. "Cognitive improvement was also imagined, but we wanted to see the effect of weight training on the brains of older people with mild cognitive impairment. The study showed that, fortunately, weight training is a strong ally against dementia, even for people who are already at high risk of developing it."
Why Does the Impact of Strength Training on Dementia Risk Matter?
Since there's no cure for Alzheimer's or dementia yet, anything anyone can do as a means of prevention is really crucial.
Additionally, part of what makes this study, as small as it is, important is that dementia and Alzheimer's are notoriously difficult and really expensive to treat, especially if you live somewhere like the United States that doesn't have universal healthcare. What's more, not everyone has access to other means of prevention—think of, for example, people living in food deserts who can't easily obtain or afford whole, fresh moods for a brain-healthy diet. Knowing that most able-bodied individuals can strength train to some degree—even at home with no equipment—and help boost their brain health is huge.
"As well as neuropsychological tests, we also performed MRI scans at the beginning and end of the study," study supervisor Marcio Balthazar noted. "These results are very important because they indicate the need to include more physical educators in the public health system at the primary health care level since increased muscle strength is associated with a reduced risk of dementia. It's a less complex and cheaper treatment that can protect people from serious diseases."
“For example, the new anti-amyloid drugs approved in the United States indicated for the treatment of dementia and for people with mild cognitive impairment, cost around $30,000 a year. That's a very high cost. These non-pharmacological measures, as we’ve shown is the case with weight training, are effective, not only in preventing dementia but also in improving mild cognitive impairment."
Talk to your doctor before beginning a strength-training regimen to make sure whatever program you start is best for your specific needs—and if you need some motivation to start, check out these easy, two-step resistance exercises and these .
Jessica Sager