People who engage in moderate to vigorous physical activity on a regular basis are less likely to develop dementia, stroke, anxiety, depression and sleep disorders, researchers find.
Moving it more — whether you’re at the gym or cleaning your house — can help protect your mental and cognitive health.
A new study finds people who get regular exercise have a lower risk of developing dementia, stroke, anxiety, depression and sleep disorders. And those who prefer the couch over exercise have a higher risk, according to the data.
The researchers asked more than 73,000 adults to wear accelerometers for 7 days to measure their physical activity, energy burn and how much time they spent sitting.
Participants who engaged in moderate to vigorous physical activity were 14% to 40% less likely to develop these 5 conditions while those who logged more time sitting were 5% to 54% more likely.
One author says, “This research highlights the role of physical activity and sedentary behavior as modifiable factors that may enhance brain health and reduce the incidence of these diseases.”
She says the results will have implications for assessing risk factors and developing interventions to prevent the development of neuropsychiatric disease.
Source: American Academy of Neurology
Author Affiliations: Huashan Hospital, Fudan University
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