{"id":870957,"date":"2026-10-04T23:18:13","date_gmt":"2026-10-04T23:18:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/870957\/"},"modified":"2026-10-04T23:18:13","modified_gmt":"2026-10-04T23:18:13","slug":"not-all-exercise-protects-your-brain-one-type-is-linked-to-higher-dementia-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/870957\/","title":{"rendered":"Not All Exercise Protects Your Brain \u2013 One Type Is Linked to Higher Dementia Risk"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Alzheimers<\/a>Exercise may support brain health through changes in blood flow, metabolism, and inflammation, but those benefits do not appear to arise equally from every kind of activity. Credit: Stock<\/p>\n

Not all physical activity is equal when it comes to protecting the brain from dementia. Where and why we move may matter more than most people realize.<\/p>\n

A large new review of studies published in The Lancet Public Health<\/a> found that leisure-time physical activity\u2014such as sports, dancing, or going to the gym\u2014was linked to a 24% lower risk of dementia. Housework was linked to a 15% lower risk, although this finding came from just one study.<\/p>\n

Occupational physical activity, on the other hand, was linked to a 20% increased risk of dementia.<\/p>\n

The study compiled data from 74 studies involving more than 4.2 million people in 30 countries, making it one of the largest studies of its kind.<\/p>\n

How Exercise May Protect the Brain<\/p>\n

Physical activity may protect the brain in several ways. It improves blood flow, helping to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the brain. It also causes muscles to release molecules<\/a> that can reduce inflammation, help the brain use energy, and encourage the growth of new brain cells.<\/p>\n

That is one reason why reducing physical inactivity is a key part of the World Health Organization\u2019s recently updated dementia prevention guidelines<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There is plenty of evidence that being active can help protect against dementia. A UK Biobank study<\/a> tracked people\u2019s activity using wearable devices for four years. Even less than 35 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous activity a week was linked to a 41% lower risk of dementia compared with no such activity.<\/p>\n

How Much Activity Could Lower Dementia Risk?<\/p>\n

More vigorous exercise\u2014the kind that leaves you too breathless to talk\u2014was linked to a 63% lower risk of dementia compared with being inactive.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing<\/a> followed people for 17 years and found that the more active people were, the lower their risk of dementia. The most active group had about half the risk of the least active group.<\/p>\n

Walking outdoors<\/a>\u2013even as little as two miles a day<\/a>\u2014and gardening<\/a> have also both been linked to a 25 to 36% lower risk of dementia.<\/p>\n

The Physical Activity Paradox<\/p>\n

But the new Lancet study suggests that physical activity at work or while traveling to work may not offer the same protection. It may even be linked to a higher risk of developing dementia.<\/p>\n

Physical activity at work, based on the combined data from five studies, was linked to a 20% higher risk. And active commuting, such as walking or cycling, based on just two studies, was linked to a 10% higher risk.<\/p>\n

Researchers call this the \u201cphysical activity paradox.\u201d It is well documented in heart disease research: physical activity at work fails to deliver the same protective effect as the same activity done during leisure time, and can sometimes increase risk instead. Several explanations have been proposed.<\/p>\n

Workplace Hazards and Brain Health<\/p>\n

People in physically demanding jobs may have had fewer opportunities for education than people in office jobs. Education and mentally stimulating activities throughout life are linked to greater reserve capacity<\/a> in the brain\u2014its ability to cope with damage and keep working normally.<\/p>\n

Manual workers may also be more likely to work in polluted environments, such as factories or building sites. And commuting, particularly by bicycle or on foot, can mean greater exposure to air pollution<\/a>. Air pollution has separately been linked to a higher risk of Alzheimer\u2019s disease.<\/p>\n

Recreational exercise accounts for just 4% of active time in low-income countries, but 28% in high- and middle-income countries<\/a>. So differences in income may shape the factors that influence dementia risk around the world.<\/p>\n

The Unequal Burden of Dementia Prevention<\/p>\n

The researchers say more research is needed, particularly in low-income countries, to understand what is behind the link between physical activity at work and dementia.<\/p>\n

Not all physically demanding jobs are the same. Two physically demanding jobs can involve similar amounts of activity but very different exposures to noise, pollution, stress, heat, and other hazards.<\/p>\n

These findings point to a deeper inequality: leisure time itself is a resource\u2014one that isn\u2019t distributed evenly. People in low-income countries and those who do physically demanding jobs often have the least opportunity for the kind of activity that seems to protect the brain while facing the working conditions that may undermine it. Understanding and addressing that imbalance may matter as much for dementia prevention as encouraging people to move more.<\/p>\n

Reference: \u201cDomain-specific physical activity levels and risk of dementia: a systematic review and meta-analysis\u201d by Natan Feter, Paula Iso-Markku, Tiladia Markarian, Dylan M Luong, Jack Gunnink, Nat\u00e1lia Schr\u00f6der, Eduardo Lucia Caputo, Jayne Feter, Anamika Nanda, Sarah Hourihan, Gustavo S da Silva, Ashley Ventura, Daniela Benzano Bumaguin, Yann C Klimentidis, Gene E Alexander, Daniel Umpierre, Pedro C Hallal, Airton Jos\u00e9 Rombaldi and David A Raichlen, September 2026, The Lancet Public Health.
DOI: 10.1016\/S2468-2667(26)00142-8<\/a><\/p>\n

Eef Hogervorst works for Loughborough University National Centre for Sports and Exercise Medicine. She has received funding from many funders, including NIHR, ESRC, UKRI, and the British Council Newton Trust, to investigate exercise and physical activity to reduce dementia risk.<\/p>\n

Adapted from an article originally published in The Conversation<\/a>. \"The<\/p>\n

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