Can brain aging be delayed or stopped altogether?
According to CNN, walking or cycling 3 times a week can improve your brain’s cognitive function. When combined with a healthy diet, you can maintain your mental abilities for years.
Scientists conducted a 6-month study on 160 people with an average age of 65 years. Previously, participants did not exercise, had difficulty making decisions or concentrating, and had symptoms of cardiovascular disease such as high blood pressure.
They all passed a preliminary cognitive test and ran a series of tests. Based on this, the researchers divided the participants into 4 groups.
The first group was offered a healthy diet. This food has a good effect on the whole body, including the cardiovascular system. The second group of people was advised to do simple aerobic training 3 times a week:
10 minutes of warm-up exercise, then 35 minutes of continuous walking and cycling. The third group had the most people. They were given aerobics training 3 times a week and recommended to implement a healthy diet.
A fourth group was given a 30-minute interview about cardiovascular disease risk and was not advised to change their lifestyle. Those who combined a healthy diet with exercise had the best results on cognitive tests. Participants in the third group scored an average of 47 points, in the second group 42 points, and in the fourth group 38 points.
At the beginning of the study, the average age of the participants in the third group was 93, and after the study, the average age decreased by 28 to 65 years. After participating in the experiment for 6 months, their thinking ability was 84 years younger. Therefore, following 6 months of exercise and a healthy diet can reduce the aging of the brain by 9 years.
Explaining the results of the study, Dr. Richard Isaacson of the Alzheimer’s Prevention Clinic said that exercise not only improves brain function, but also has a positive effect on heart function.
