How to prevent dementia? Do exercise, experts say, any type – it’s all good for the brain

Any type of exercise is good for your brain, experts say, as it reduces blood pressure and inflammation, increases good proteins, and more

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Multiple studies have found that exercise is good for the brain and can help prevent dementia. One study found that senior participants who took part in high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on a treadmill did better on memory tests six months later than those who took part in lower-intensity training exercises. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 7:15am, 14 Oct 2024

This is the 47th instalment in a series on dementia, including the research into its causes and treatment, advice for carers, and stories of hope.

To do your brain some good, do exercise. Research increasingly supports this. No matter what kind of exercise you do, it is all good for your brain.

What is more, it is not just good for your brain today. After you pump some weights at the gym or get out on the track for a run, the benefits of that exercise could sustain for months, even years.

Research published in July by scientists at the University of Queensland in Australia showed a clear link between high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and better recall in the short term, as well as healthier brain volumes in the longer term, in a study group of older adults.

Microglia – resident cells of the brain that regulate a number of systems – become “significantly” rejuvenated through exercise, one study found. Photo: Shutterstock

The benefits among study participants, all aged between 65 and 85, lasted for up to five years after the research was completed.

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