Much has been said over the years about the importance of regular physical activity, for body and mind. A new study conducted at the University of San Diego in the United States found that in addition to all these, such regular activity also contributes to the cognitive issue.
According to the study, regular physical activity among women aged 65 and older will significantly reduce the risk of developing cognitive impairment or dementia. The study found that regular activity of about half an hour will reduce the risk of developing the disease by 21%.
According to the World Health Organization, almost ten million new cases of dementia are registered in the world every year. Just in the last year, over 55 million people in the world experienced the disease. Currently, medicine does not have a known cure for dementia, and therefore there is an additional significance in preventing it in advance.
In addition to regular physical activity, maintaining a healthy weight, quitting smoking, eating a healthy and balanced diet and maintaining blood pressure at a healthy level will help prevent dementia. “Given that the onset of dementia begins 20 years or more before symptoms appear, the early intervention to delay or prevent cognitive decline and dementia in older adults is essential,” noted one of the study’s editors.