Skipping exercise in favor of less strenuous activities such as sitting or lying down was associated with slightly worse memory and thinking skills, according to a study released Monday. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.
While the difference is small, it shows how even small changes in physical activity levels can affect a person’s health, including brain health, according to the Institute for Sport, Exercise and Health in the UK. Researcher and principal investigator John Mitchell said.
Mitchell and his colleagues 1970 UK cohort study — An ongoing study tracking the health of a group of people born in the UK in 1970. The study’s findings are based on data from approximately 4,500 people followed between 2016 and 2018.
Participants provided information about their health, background, and lifestyle. She was also asked to wear the activity tracker for at least 10 hours per day for up to 7 consecutive days, even while sleeping and bathing.
During the study, participants were given a battery of tests to assess their ability to process and recall information.
Participants averaged 51 minutes of moderate or vigorous exercise each day. About 6 hours of light activity, such as a slow walk. About 9 hours of sedentary behavior, such as sitting or lying down. Also, they averaged about eight hours of sleep.
In the study, Mitchell noted that moderate-to-vigorous activity was seen as “uplifting” or “feeling warm” to someone.
After analyzing the participants’ activity data, the researchers found that those who skipped exercise and engaged in sedentary behavior for eight minutes had a 1% to 2% drop in cognitive scores.
Researchers observed similar declines in cognitive performance when people replaced strenuous exercise with six minutes of light physical activity or seven minutes of sleep.
But the opposite was also found to be true: Exercising instead of sitting improved cognitive performance. Studies have shown that cognitive scores improve by more than 1%.
The findings should encourage people to move more, said Aviroop Biswas, assistant professor of epidemiology and associate scientist at the Institute for Occupational Health in Toronto.
“Physical activity is associated with many benefits, so we want to encourage as much regular physical activity as possible,” said Biswas, who was not involved in the study.
of Department of Health and Human Services Adults are recommended to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity in addition to two days of strength training per week.
The relationship between more exercise and better brain performance is still unknown, but it is likely a result of how the body’s cardiovascular system works.
“When you are active, you are essentially improving the strength of your heart, improving its ability to pump blood to your body and one of the most important organs, the brain. I’m here.
In contrast, when people don’t get enough exercise, it can lead to many health problems, including those that affect the brain, such as dementia, says physical and occupational therapy at McGill University in Montreal. Mark Roig, professor at Also, I was not involved in any new research.
Roig added that the intensity of exercise was also important, noting that people in the study who did light physical activity instead of more vigorous activity also saw cognitive decline.
Scientists are trying to determine the best exercise to improve people’s overall health and prevent chronic diseases.
Mitchell, the study’s author, says light activity is still preferable to sitting.
“While there seems to be little doubt that light activity is superior to sitting in many aspects of health, there is a critical ‘threshold’ intensity for optimal health, including cognitive health. The jury is out yet on what it is.
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