A photo collage containing 2 images, Image 1 shows a woman lying on a sofa with a glass of popcorn and a remote control, looking bored while watching TV, Image 2 shows an elderly man touching his head in frustration while pointing at a wall calendar, possibly indicating memory loss or cognitive impairment
Couch potatoes, cheer up: Sitting around might not be so bad—at least for your brain.
While exercise is known to help reduce the risk of dementia, new research suggests that even a small change in how you spend your time sitting can make a difference.
That’s good news for Americans, who spend an average of 9.5 hours a day glued to their seats, whether at work or relaxing at home.
New research suggests that spending too much time sitting down may increase your risk of developing dementia. Stock – stock.adobe.com
Mats Hallgren, the study’s lead author and senior researcher at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, said in a press release: “Alienated behavior is common, but fortunately, it can also be changed.”
“Our research shows that not all sessions are the same – how we use our brains while sitting may be an important factor in future cognitive and mental health,” he added.
In order to understand the impact our sitting habits have, Hallgren and his colleagues followed 20,811 Swedes between the ages of 35 and 64 over nearly two decades.
At the beginning, the participants filled out detailed questionnaires about their daily habits, including how much time they spent on passive activities, such as watching TV or listening to music, compared to mentally active ones, such as office work, knitting, playing cards or other mental tasks.
On average, they reported 116.3 minutes of passive sitting per day and 239.9 minutes of mentally active sitting per day.
Fast forward 19 years, and researchers examined Swedish national health records to see who was developing dementia, a syndrome marked by a gradual decline in memory, thinking and communication skills that interferes with daily life.
Common symptoms of dementia include memory loss, confusion, personality changes and difficulty with daily tasks. Lightfield Studio – stock.adobe.com
During this time, 569 participants were diagnosed, and the findings suggest that how they spend their sitting time may play a role.
Researchers found that every additional hour of mentally active sitting per day was associated with a 4% reduction in dementia risk. Even better, swapping one hour of inactive sitting for one hour of mentally active sitting reduces the risk of dementia by 7%.
“We found that long periods of psychologically inactive sedentary behavior were associated with a higher risk of dementia,” Hallgren explained. “When inactive sitting was replaced with mentally active activities, the risk decreased.”
Interestingly, the benefits of mentally active sitting were stronger for participants aged 50 to 64 than those in their 30s and 40s, suggesting that older adults may gain more brain protection from keeping their minds busy during some physical downtime.
Researchers suspect that something called cognitive reserve may be at play.
Cognitive reserve acts like a mental safety net, helping your brain find new ways to do things and keeping you sharp even as age, illness or injury take hold.
The study’s authors suggest that mentally active work in midlife may build this reserve, with its protective effects only becoming apparent later in life.
Imaging studies back this up, showing real changes in the structure and function of the brains of adults who remain mentally active through work, social activities and other intellectual pursuits.
Researchers have also hypothesized that older adults may develop extra brain power from spending their time sitting — cognitively stimulating recreational activities such as reading, writing or doing puzzles — while younger adults, often sitting at work, may receive mental stimulation but also higher levels of stress.
“While all sessions have minimal energy expenditure, this may vary with brain activity levels,” Hallgren said.
“How we use our brains while we sit appears to be an important determinant of future cognitive function and, as we have shown, may predict the onset of dementia.”
Research has found that engaging in mentally stimulating activities while sitting, such as knitting, may help protect against dementia. puhimec – stock.adobe.com
But the study had its limitations.
For one, participants reported their habits back in 1997, before smartphones, social media and endless streaming took over. Their routines are also likely to change over the 19-year follow-up, something the data did not capture.
Still, Hallgren said the findings are noteworthy, especially in today’s hectic world. Across the United States, only 1 in 4 adults and 1 in 5 teens meet physical activity guidelines for aerobic and muscle-strengthening activities — meaning many people spend many hours in their seats.
“Our study adds to the observation that not all sedentary behaviors are equal; some may increase the risk of dementia, while others may be protective,” Hallgren said. Hallgren said.
“It’s important to stay physically active as we age, but also mentally active—especially when we’re sedentary.”
However, if a small change in sitting time can help prevent dementia, it may be worth changing the time a little to boost brain activity.
Nationwide, one in 10 adults lives with dementia, the most common form of which is Alzheimer’s disease.
As the U.S. population ages, that number is expected to rise. Researchers estimate that 42% of Americans over 55 will eventually develop dementia, with women and black adults at the highest risk.
By 2060, cases nationwide are projected to double, with nearly 1 million new diagnoses each year.
#Hate #exercise #fight #dementia #couch