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Exercising only on weekends may cut risk of mental decline

Weekend Warriors fend off Dementia

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First published: 30.Oct.2024

Overview

In our busy world, finding time for working out is complicated. A growing group of people, the "Weekend Warriors" exercise once or twice a week on the weekends. This study shows that this type of physical activity is equally effective as regular exercising in warding off mental decline.

In this Article (Index)

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Exercise reduces risk of mental decline

Any Physical Activity is better than none

Weekend Warriors have a lower risk of dementia

This study (1) published on October 29, 2024 finds that "weekend warriors" physical activity is linked to a lower risk of mild dementia.

The researchers analyzed data from 10,033 adults who were followed over a period of 16 years. Those exercising once or twice a week were classified as "weekend warriors", while those who engaged in physical activity more often were termed "regularly active". The study assessed the mental abilities of the participants to check for mild dementia.

Furthermore, when compared to the group that didn't practice any sports or physical activity, ther risk of mild dementia was reduced in 25% among the weekend warrior group and 11% among the "regularly active" group.

This outcome shows that "the weekend warrior physical activity pattern is associated with a reduced risk of mild dementia."

The authors state that:

We found that around 10% of cases would be eliminated if all middle-aged adults were to take part in sport or exercise once or twice per week or more often.O'Donovan et al., 2024 (1)

Mechanism

The authors suggest that physical activity improves brain health by increasing brain plasticiy and that "exercise may increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor concentrations." Neurotrophic factors are "Growth factors", a group of proteins that control how cells work, including their growth and survival. They also play a role in managing inflammation, immunity and influence lipid control and type-2 diabetes.

The authors also mention that "Physical activity is also associated with greater brain volume, greater executive function and greater memory."

Importance of this Paper

It is important because it shows that the weekend physical activity can have the same impact on mental decline as those engaging in regular physical activity. The authors note that weekend activity seems more accessible to the average person: "the weekend warrior physical activity pattern may be a more convenient option for busy people around the world," providing the same benefit as regular workouts.

There is a growing body of evidence showing that exercising, and not when you exercise, is a factor that improves health.

Another study published earlier this year showed that weekend warriors improve physical health as much as those doing daily training:

References and Further Reading

(1) O'Donovan G, Petermann-Rocha F, Ferrari G, et al, (2024). Associations of the 'weekend warrior' physical activity pattern with mild dementia: findings from the Mexico City Prospective Study. British Journal of Sports Medicine Published Online First: 29 October 2024. doi: 10.1136/bjsports-2024-108460

About this Article

Exercising only on weekends may cut risk of mental decline, A. Whittall

©2024 Fit-and-Well.com. First Published: 30.Oct.2024. Update scheduled for 30.Oct.2027. https://www.fit-and-well.com/fitness/weekend-exercising-may-cut-risk-of-mental-decline.html

Tags: exercise, fitness, dementia, weekend warriors

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