Exercise benefits to help prevent dementia and for those with dementia

According to the Alzheimer’s Society “A lack of physical exercise is one of the main factors where the evidence is strong enough to show that it increases a person’s risk of developing dementia.”

Earlier this year a team at University College London (UCL) found a link between regular physical activity throughout life and changes in the brain which could help protect people from developing dementia. The data showed that individuals who exercised throughout life were also less likely to experience cognitive decline, even if they had markers often seen in Alzheimer’s disease.

Exercise improves the function of immune system cells in the hippocampus called microglia and neurovascular astrocytes (cells that form a crucial link between neurons and blood vessels) that enhance the function of the blood-brain barrier. Physical activity also increases blood flow to the brain enhancing both fuel delivery and waste removal. Exercising also requires an individual having to process sensory input, deciding what to do and then actioning it.