It has long been known that exercise is one of the best ways to prevent age-related dementia.
A new study shows you don’t need a major time investment to keep your brain sharp as you age. Just two minutes a week can do it…if you choose the right kind of exercise.
The research was done at Scotland’s Abertay University. Investigators enlisted 17 inactive people between the ages of 60 and 75. The subjects participated in two exercise sessions per week.[1]
It was a form of high-intensity interval training (HIIT).
Researchers put the subjects on stationary bikes. For each session, they had them pedal as hard as they could for six seconds. Then they rested for at least a minute. The subjects completed 10 six-second pedaling sprints for a total of one minute of exercise.
At the beginning, all the participants had high blood pressure. It’s a major risk factor for dementia. After 10 weeks, all the participants’ blood pressure dropped to normal.
Dr. John Babraj led the study. He said it showed that HIIT could “lead to a reduction in long-term frailty and in the extent of dementia in older people.”
High-Intensity Interval Training: Powerful Medicine for Your Brain
Research shows you get more health benefits from HIIT than from steady-state cardio. And it takes just a fraction of the time.
HIIT is adaptable to many activities. You can run, cycle, swim, do calisthenics, or use a rowing, stair climber, or elliptical machine.
The HIIT method used in the study was briefer than most, because it was tailored to older people who had been inactive. You can do that method if you choose. Or you can go with this more standard form, which may be even more beneficial…
Warm up for three to five minutes doing your chosen form of exercise slowly.
Then do the exercise at the highest intensity you can for the next minute.
Slow down for a minute or two to catch your breath. Then go hard again for another minute.
Repeat this process five to seven times. Afterward, do the activity slowly for at least two minutes to cool down.
The idea is to push your body for a brief burst, and then allow it to recover. HIIT allows you stay in great shape—while preventing dementia—even when you don’t have time for a long workout.
Editor’s Note: Independent Healing readers recently discovered the best way to get fast results from resistance exercise. To find out more, go HERE.
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[1]https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs11332-018-0498-2