Exercise during the teenage years could prevent the onset of cognitive impairment later in life for women, The New York Times reports.
A study published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society found that people who were active in their teens were at a lower risk of impairment in later life. Some 8.5 per cent of those active during adolescence were cognitively impaired later in life, but 16.7 per cent of those were inactive teenagers.
The study involved 9,395 women aged 65 and older. Each person participated in a multicentre study of osteoporotic fractures. Participants were asked for how long they had been physically active during their teenage years and during the 30s, 50s and later in life. Each participant’s cognitive function was assessed.
Having adjusted the differences between those with chronic diseases like diabetes, the study found that physical activity during teenage years was associated with a 35 per cent lower risk for cognitive impairment later in life.
Lead author of the study, Laura E. Middleton, from the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center in Toronto, said: “People often separate the body and mind, and forget that physical activity is actually controlled by the brain.”
She added, “A large portion of the brain is dedicated toward co-ordinating and controlling movement.”
About admin
Loading ...
