A new study suggests that a simple daily activity could do more than save money or cut down on pollution \u2014 it may also help protect your brain.<\/p>\n
Researchers looked at nearly 480,000 adults in the United Kingdom as part of the UK Biobank project. They found that cycling was linked to a 19% lower risk of dementia and a 22% lower risk of Alzheimer’s disease, CNN reported<\/a>. These were observed when compared with people who relied on non-active modes of transportation, such as cars or trains.<\/p>\n The study published in JAMA Network Open<\/a> followed the participants for 13 years to see the impact of activity on dementia and Alzheimer’s.<\/p>\n According to the results, participants who regularly cycled tended to have lower dementia rates and greater hippocampal volume \u2014 a brain region important for memory and learning. Notably, the benefit was seen in participants who cycled even for errands and short trips.<\/p>\n Given that the study was observational, it didn’t prove directly that cycling prevents dementia. However, researchers said that the study showed a significant association.<\/p>\n “Although population-based evidence on the health effects of active travel remains scarce, systematic reviews have consistently highlighted its association with improved health outcomes, including a lower risk of diabetes,” the researchers of the study explained, per CNN.<\/p>\n Beyond brain health, riding a bike<\/a> when you can instead of driving also brings extra perks: It cuts down pollution, eases traffic, supports healthier communities, and saves money on gas and maintenance. Small changes like this can make a real difference while also supporting brain health.<\/p>\n Just like cycling, spending time in green spaces can give your brain a boost. Studies showed that being around trees, parks, and other greenery can slow cognitive decline.<\/p>\n Eating habits can also play a role in brain health. Diets high in red and processed meats and ultraprocessed foods may raise the risk of Alzheimer’s, while plant-forward diets rich in vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains could offer protection.<\/p>\n Whether you’re biking to the store, meeting a friend, or simply enjoying the outdoors, every ride counts. It’s a small change that delivers big benefits: protecting your health, strengthening your community, and helping the planet thrive.<\/p>\n Join our free newsletter<\/a> for good news and useful tips, and don’t miss this cool list<\/a> of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A new study suggests that a simple daily activity could do more than save money or cut down…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":231410,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[34],"tags":[32231,4012,64,63,9757,137,500],"class_list":["post-231409","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-healthcare","tag-activity","tag-alzheimers-disease","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-dementia","tag-health","tag-healthcare"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231409","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=231409"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/231409\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/231410"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=231409"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=231409"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=231409"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}