3 Easy Ways To Help Prevent Dementia and Keep Your Memory Sharp for Years To Come
New research proves these simple daily habits really work
Key Takeaways
- Just 150 minutes of weekly exercise (about 22 minutes daily) may cut dementia risk by 25 percen
- Sitting more than eight hours a day may raise risk, but taking short breaks help
- Sleeping too little may impact brain health, but adequate rest helps ward off memory loss
What if reducing your risk of developing dementia was simpler than you ever imagined? New research analyzing data from more than two million people has uncovered something remarkable: A few easy lifestyle tweaks could lower your dementia risk by up to 25 percent. No expensive supplements, no complicated programs, just simple changes that fit seamlessly into your daily routine. Here we break down how to help prevent dementia with doable habits that safeguard your most precious asset: your mind.
What is dementia?
“Most people think of Alzheimer’s disease when they hear the word ‘dementia,’ but Alzheimer’s is only one form of dementia,” says Frank Dumont, MD, executive medical director at Virta Health. “Dementia is defined as a chronic and progressive condition which compromises the function of the brain. Specifically, to qualify for a diagnosis of dementia, one needs to have a significant decrease in at least two types of brain function (such as memory, language, social functioning or what is referred to as executive functioning—basically higher level thinking.”
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, Alzheimer’s disease is responsible for 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. Dr. Dumont says another common type is a form of dementia called vascular dementia where the brain accumulates damage due to several large or small strokes.
Woman's World Answers
“It turns out that many people struggling with dementia have ‘mixed dementia,’ meaning that more than one thing is going on,” says Dr. Dumont. “In other words, you can have Alzheimer’s disease and also have vascular dementia at the same time.”
Is it forgetfulness or dementia?
“Normal aging is slower, not worse,” says Jordan Weiss, PhD, assistant professor in the Division of Precision Medicine and Optimal Aging Institute at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and former research scientist at the Stanford Center on Longevity. “A name takes a beat longer to surface. You walk into a room and briefly forget why. The information is still there, just a little delayed. Most of us experience this in our 60s and 70s, and it isn’t dementia.”
“Dementia is different in kind,” continues Weiss. “It’s forgetting an entire conversation, not just the name of the person you had it with. Getting lost on a street you’ve driven for twenty years. Struggling with a recipe you used to make from memory. The clearest signal is when the people around you notice the changes before you do, and when those changes start to interfere with the ordinary business of a life.”
3 simple ways to help prevent dementia
Reducing the risk of dementia likely sounds like a huge task without a clear path, but new research provides practical tips that could actually help.
Squeeze in physical activity
In a new PLOS One study analyzing data from dozens of studies and more than 2.8 million people, researchers found that those who got at least 150 minutes of exercise per week had a 25 percent lower risk of dementia. What makes this such a smart habit to help prevent dementia?
“Exercise is one of the most powerful interventions we have for the aging brain, and it works through several pathways at once,” says Weiss. “It increases blood flow, delivering more oxygen and nutrients to brain cells. It raises a molecule called brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which acts like fertilizer for neurons and helps them form new connections. It lowers inflammation. And it improves blood sugar control, which matters because insulin resistance—the body’s trouble managing blood sugar— is increasingly tied to Alzheimer’s disease” and dementia.
“The best exercise is the one you’ll actually do on Tuesday morning when it’s raining,” adds Weiss. “Consistency beats perfection. A mix of aerobic movement and resistance training gives you the broadest benefit.” For aerobic work, brisk walking, cycling, swimming or dancing for about 30 minutes most days will get you to the 150-minute target, he adds.
Avoid prolonged sitting
In the study, sitting more than eight hours a day was also linked to a 27 percent higher risk of dementia. Researchers say prolonged sitting may increase inflammation and strain the body in ways that can damage cells that support brain health.
“Sitting for long stretches is not just the absence of exercise,” explains Weiss. “It’s a physiological state of its own. When muscles stay inactive for hours, blood sugar regulation worsens, inflammation rises, and blood flow to the brain slows. Over years, this damages the small vessels that keep brain tissue healthy (a meaningful contributor to vascular cognitive impairment) and to vascular changes that often accompany Alzheimer’s.”
To help prevent dementia and cognitive decline, make it a point to move more often. “The most effective strategy for breaking up sedentary time is taking brief activity breaks every 30 minutes if possible, with evidence supporting breaks as short as one to five minutes of light-intensity walking or standing,” says Paul E. Bendheim, MD, a board-certified neurologist, author and founder of BrainSavers®, Inc. “This frequency appears more important than longer, less frequent breaks for metabolic health benefits.”
Get enough sleep
The study also found that sleeping too little, meaning less than seven hours a night, was linked to an 18 percent higher risk of dementia, while sleeping more than eight hours was tied to a 28 percent higher risk.
“Sleep is when the brain does housekeeping that can’t happen during waking hours,” explains Weiss. “A system called the glymphatic system, essentially the brain’s waste-clearance plumbing, becomes far more active during deep sleep. It flushes out metabolic waste, including amyloid-beta, the protein that accumulates in Alzheimer’s. Short or fragmented sleep shortchanges that process, and over years, the brain pays for it.”
Just how much sleep do you need to help prevent dementia? “Seven hours of sleep is a good starting point, but you might need to take into consideration other factors such as your sleep efficiency—how much of your time in bed is actually spent sleeping—as well as the amount of time you are spending in deep sleep and REM (dream) sleep,” adds Dr. Dumont. (Check out our best tips to get more sleep.)
The bottom line on ways to help prevent dementia
Protecting your brain from Alzheimer’s disease and dementia isn’t about dramatic life changes or expensive interventions. It’s about the small, meaningful choices you make every single day that are completely within your control.
“Be your own brain health quarterback,” says Dr. Bendheim. “Learn about the lifestyle risk factors for dementia and mechanisms for modifying them to build a healthier lifestyle. You will feel better, you will be happier, you will have a healthier brain and body. It’s an insurance policy for healthy aging.”
Ready for more inspiration? Subscribe to our YouTube channel for video podcasts, health tips and uplifting stories designed for women 40, 50, 60 and beyond.
Conversation
All comments are subject to our Community Guidelines. Woman's World does not endorse the opinions and views shared by our readers in our comment sections. Our comments section is a place where readers can engage in healthy, productive, lively, and respectful discussions. Offensive language, hate speech, personal attacks, and/or defamatory statements are not permitted. Advertising or spam is also prohibited.
