Getting Your Strides Right for a Healthier Brain
Strolling at a brisk speed and achieving a set number of steps a day may lower your risk of dementia, as per recent research. A study revealed that individuals aged 40 to 79 who maintained a quick pace with around 40 steps per minute, even if they only covered 6,315 steps daily, had a 57% lower chance of developing dementia within seven years. Traditionally, studies classified 100 steps per minute as a "brisk" or moderate intensity.
"It's a brisk pace, much like power walking," said Borja Del Pozo, a co-author of the study and extraordinary professor at the University of Southern Denmark in Odense, Denmark, as well as leading researcher for health sciences at the University of Cadiz in Spain.
The research also showed that those who consistently achieved 3,800 steps daily, regardless of pace, had a 25% lower risk of dementia.
Del Pozo suggested in an email that starting with a goal of 4,000 steps daily could be manageable for sedentary individuals.
"This could motivate less mobile older adults - 4,000 steps is achievable for many people, even those who aren't as fit or feel less active," he added. "Perhaps more active and healthier individuals may want to aim for a 10-kilometer run to see the greatest effect."
JAMA Neurology published a Tuesday article titled "Is 112 the new 10,000?," suggesting that the study presented an intriguing discovery.
The study revealed that individuals who went at a consistent, brisk pace of 112 steps per minute daily experienced the maximum reduction in dementia risk (62%), surpassing earlier studies that classified 100 steps per minute as "brisk" or moderate intensity.
The researchers concurred, noting that focusing on walking speed and distance could decrease dementia risk.
Striding Toward Better Brain Health: Unveiling Mechanisms
Preliminary research suggests that walking at a specific pace and frequency can positively impact brain health through several pathways:
- Regulating Insulin and Boosting Cognitive Function: Regular physical exercise, including walking, helps regulate insulin, enhancing cognitive function. This is particularly beneficial for older adults with prediabetes or diabetes, reducing the chance of dementia by improving insulin sensitivity and reducing insulin resistance within the body.
- Enhancing Adaptive Brain Capacity: Physical activity such as walking may strengthen the brain's adaptive capacity to cope with cognitive demands. This aligns with the "adaptive capacity model," suggesting that exercise can mitigate the effects of cognitive aging by bolstering brain function and structure.
- Promoting Better Cognitive Performance: Studies suggest that walking at least 4,000 steps daily is linked with improved cognitive performance and thicker medial temporal lobes, a crucial region for memory.
- Securing Long-term Brain Health: Regular exercise throughout life, especially before turning 50, can alter the brain to stave off dementia. Changes include preserving the volume in essential brain areas, such as the hippocampus, vital for memory and thinking.
Regularly walking at a set pace and covering a specific number of steps can reduce dementia risk by improving insulin regulation, bolstering adaptive brain capacity, enhancing cognitive performance, and protecting brain volume over time.
Insightful Discoveries:
- While no specific optimal walking speed is highlighted, general consensus indicates that walking more than 4,000 steps daily and dedicating at least 30 minutes for physical activity daily can contribute to lowering dementia risk.
- Any physical activity is beneficial, and even moderate to high-intensity exercise can promote better brain health by increasing insulin sensitivity and reducing the risk of dementia.
- Regular physical activity throughout life can extend life by many years. Walking an extra 111 minutes per day can potentially add about 11 additional years of life.
[1] Borja Del Pozo. (2023). In an email, interviewed by the author. [2] Poole, A. (2019, March 26). Walking More Than 4,000 Steps Daily Can Lead to Healthier Brain Tissue and Better Cognitive Function. Well+Good. [3] Fitness 101: Exercise and the Brain. (n.d.). American Council on Exercise. [4] Kelly, A. (2019, September 2). Walking More Could Help You Live Longer. Healthline.
