Physical exercise as a method to delay brain aging
Over the years, the brain ages naturally. This means that it loses neurons, and its size gets reduced resulting in a number of new characteristics ranging from greater difficulty in remembering things to a slower ability to perform everyday tasks because the production of hormones and neurotransmitters changes.
Among these changes, the most notorious is the loss of many connections between neurons, long-lived cells that are difficult to regenerate because they do not divide. On the other hand, we also have the accumulation of proteins that are deposited inside and outside the neurons, a consequence of aging.
This can trigger the development of age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease or Parkinson's disease. It should be clarified that what is commonly referred to as senile dementia is an obsolete term. Aging does not necessarily imply the onset of dementia or significant memory loss.
Is it possible to slow down brain aging? Although it is an absolutely natural process, and exactly the same as in other parts of the body, it is possible to slow down brain aging. In fact, several studies put the influence of genetics at 25% and that of lifestyle at 75%. Therefore, and with respect to the question we started with, yes, it is possible to delay brain aging.
Following a healthy, low-calorie diet is a strategy to delay brain aging. And although it is something that should be done at all stages of life, it makes even more sense in old age.
Physical exercise is another key to delaying cognitive aging. Regular physical activity, in addition to protecting our brain, does the same at the cardiovascular level and has a direct impact on psychological health, improving well-being. They are key to reducing the effects of aging. Clinical studies indicate that moderate-intensity physical training plays a neuroprotective role, slowing the decrease in brain volume and improving brain function.
Aerobic exercise has the wonderful capability of improving the cognitive function of people who are suffering from neurodegenerative diseases, as well as in those who don’t have cognitive diseases. The basis of this neuroprotection is associated with the formation of new connections between neurons.
Moreover, it has been shown that people who have a higher level of education or who maintain a certain intellectual activity -reading, studying, or acquiring new skills- have a lower predisposition to develop dementia.
The trick is to adapt the activities to the capabilities of each person, generally linked to the stage of life in which they find themselves. “A common trait of antidepressant drugs, electroconvulsive treatment, and physical exercise is that they relieve depression and up-regulate neurotrophic factors as well as cell proliferation and neurogenesis in the hippocampus.”