Brains Need Exercise Too!

An active brain is a healthy brain, according to researchers at Case Western Reserve University. Keeping active outside of work, either physically or mentally, in the midlife years may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease later in life.

Researchers found that people with higher levels of intellectual or physical non-occupational activities—such as playing a musical instrument, gardening, physical exercise, or even playing board games—were less likely to develop Alzheimer’s later in life. In fact, people who were less active were more than three times more likely to have Alzheimer’s down the road.

This is the first study of its kind to examine levels of activity from at least five years before Alzheimer’s symptoms appeared. Activities were categorized as passive, intellectual, or physical. Passive activities included watching TV, attending social events, etc. Intellectual activities included everything from jigsaw puzzles to woodworking. Physical activities ranged from gardening to racquet sports.