Certain sedentary activities, like reading, benefit brain health, while others, like watching TV, harm it. Researchers urge incorporating physical or mentally engaging activities into daily routines to reduce dementia risk.
It’s that time of year when many of us can finally relax and enjoy some much-needed downtime. However, your choice of activity—whether it’s watching TV or diving into a favorite book—could influence your long-term brain health, according to researchers at the University of South Australia.
In a study involving 397 adults aged 60 and older, researchers examined how different 24-hour activity patterns impact brain health. They discovered that the type of sedentary activity matters significantly for maintaining cognitive function.
Engaging in mentally or socially stimulating activities—such as reading, listening to music, praying, crafting, playing a musical instrument, or conversing with others—has been shown to improve memory and thinking skills. In contrast, more passive activities like watching TV or playing video games are associated with a decline in cognitive abilities.
Researchers suggest that sedentary behaviors likely influence cognitive function on a spectrum. While some activities may have positive effects, others may contribute to negative outcomes.
Reducing Dementia Risks Through Lifestyle Changes
It’s a valuable insight that could help reduce risks of cognitive impairment, particularly when at least 45% of dementia cases could be prevented through modifiable lifestyle factors.
In Australia, about 411,100 people (or one in every 1000 people) are living with dementia. Nearly two-thirds are women. Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that more than 55 million people have dementia with nearly 10 million new cases each year.
UniSA researcher Dr. Maddison Mellow says that not all sedentary behaviors are equal when it comes to memory and thinking ability.
“In this research, we found that the context of an activity alters how it relates to cognitive function, with different activities providing varying levels of cognitive stimulation and social engagement,” Dr. Mellow says.
“We already know that physical activity is a strong protector against dementia risk, and this should certainly be prioritized if you are trying to improve your brain health. But until now, we hadn’t directly explored whether we can benefit our brain health by swapping one sedentary behavior for another.
“We found that sedentary behaviors which promote mental stimulation or social engagement – such as reading or talking with friends – are beneficial for cognitive function, whereas others like watching TV or gaming have a negative effect. So, the type of activity is important.
“And, while the ‘move more, sit less’ message certainly holds true for cardiometabolic and brain health, our research shows that a more nuanced approach is needed when it comes to thinking about the link between sedentary behaviors and cognitive function.”
Practical Advice for the Holidays
Now, as the Christmas holidays roll around, what advice do researchers have for those who really want to indulge in a myriad of Christmas movies or a marathon of Modern Family?
“To achieve the best brain health and physical health benefits, you should prioritize movement that’s enjoyable and gets the heart rate up, as this has benefits for all aspects of health,” Dr. Mellow says.
“But even small five-minute time swaps can have benefits. So, if you’re dead set on having a Christmas movie marathon, try to break up that time with some physical activity or a more cognitively engaged seated activity, like reading, at some point. That way you can slowly build up healthier habits.”
Reference: “Should We Work Smarter or Harder for Our Health? A Comparison of Intensity and Domain-Based Time-Use Compositions and Their Associations With Cognitive and Cardiometabolic Health” by Maddison L Mellow, Dorothea Dumuid, Alexandra Wade, Timothy Olds, Ty Stanford, Hannah Keage, Montana Hunter, Nicholas Ware, Felicity M Simpson, Frini Karayanidis and Ashleigh E Smith, 19 September 2024, The Journals of Gerontology: Series A.
DOI: 10.1093/gerona/glae233
This research was conducted by a team of UniSA researchers including: Dr. Maddison Mellow, Prof Dot Dumuid, Dr. Alexandra Wade, Prof Tim Olds, Dr. Ty Stanford, Prof Hannah Keage, and Assoc Prof Ashleigh Smith; with researchers from the University of Leicester, and the University of Newcastle.
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