Exercising only on weekends is as effective in preventing dementia as exercising regularly, according to a study.
Scientists have found that “weekend warriors” are just as likely to reduce their risk of “mild dementia” as those who maintain a week-long exercise regimen.
The findings come a month after another study showed that one or two sessions of physical activity over the weekend reduce the risk of developing more than 200 diseases.
This reinforces a growing body of evidence that it’s not when you exercise, but the act of doing it, that improves health.
The team, made up of researchers from Colombia, Chile and Glasgow, examined two sets of survey data that included responses from more than 10,000 people.
For the first survey, participants were asked if they exercised or played sports and, if so, how many times a week and for how long.
Four groups were derived from the responses: those who did not exercise, the “weekend warriors” who exercised or played sports once or twice a week, the regularly active who did so three or more times a week, and a Combined group made up of weekend warriors and the regularly active.
Scientists have found that “weekend warriors” are just as likely to reduce their risk of “mild dementia” as those who maintain an exercise regime throughout the week (file image)
The analysis revealed that the risk of mild dementia was reduced by an average of 15 percent in “weekend warriors” who exercised once or twice a week and by 10 percent in “regularly active” ones who exercised. exercise more frequently (file image)
A mental status examination was then used to assess their cognitive function for the second survey.
The analysis revealed that the risk of mild dementia was reduced by an average of 15 percent in “weekend warriors” who exercised once or twice a week and by 10 percent in “regularly active” ones who exercised. They exercised more frequently.
The researchers wrote in the British Journal of Sports Medicine: “The weekend warrior physical activity pattern may be a more convenient option for busy people around the world.”
“This study is important because it suggests that even busy people can gain cognitive health benefits from participating in one or two sessions of sport and exercise per week.”
After taking into account factors that could influence the results, such as age, smoking, sleep duration, diet and alcohol consumption, the researchers suggested that both exercise patterns had similar effects.
“We found that the weekend warrior physical activity pattern and the regularly active physical activity pattern were associated with similar reductions in the risks of mild dementia after adjustment for confounders,” they added.
‘We found that about 10 percent of cases (of mild dementia) would be eliminated if all middle-aged adults played sports or exercise once or twice a week or more often.
“To our knowledge, this is the first prospective cohort study to show that the weekend warrior physical activity pattern is associated with a reduced risk of mild dementia.”
A second study in the same journal also found that exercise of any intensity is linked to a 30 percent lower risk of death from any cause during the four years after a dementia diagnosis.
Those researchers said affected people should be encouraged to maintain or begin an exercise routine, regardless of intensity, especially because the average life expectancy after a dementia diagnosis may be only four to five years.