Study finds exercise is key to improved mental health in the over 50’s
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A study conducted by the British Journal of Sports Medicine has found that doing moderate exercise on a weekly basis is the most effective way to keep the mind sharp and prevent cognitive diseases such as Dementia.
Researchers reviewed 39 case studies of people exercising at moderate intensity for between 45-60 minutes and found that thinking and memory skills were significantly improved among those who exercised on a regular basis.
The type of exercise was also significant, with the most beneficial found to be aerobic exercise, resistance training, multicomponent training and Tai Chi.
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An optimum exercise programme should incorporate ‘components of both aerobic and resistance-type training, of at least moderate intensity and at least 45 min per session, on as many days of the week as possible’, the team from the University of Canberra in Australia said.
Similar studies have explored the benefits of exercise on mental health, with Researchers at Duke University Medical Center confirming the positive correlation between lowered levels of depression and regular exercise in the over 50’s. The study looked at 156 depressed patients aged 50 and older and found that after 16 weeks, participants who exercised regularly showed significant improvements compared to those who only took medication or combined the therapies.
Six months after the study, only 8 per cent of those in the exercise group had experienced depression again compared to 38 per cent in the medication-only group and 31 per cent in the medication and exercise combined group. ‘The main conclusion is that maintaining an exercise program can significantly help in reducing depression,’ says the study’s lead researcher, Duke psychologist James Blumenthal.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that between 2015 and 2050, the proportion of the world’s population over 60 years will nearly double, from 12% to 22% with older adults increasingly at risk of developing mental and cognitive disorders.
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