Daily household tasks can slow brain ageing

Are you someone who always finds some reason or the other to skip your workout session? Well, then you may want to know the findings of a recent study published in the journal Annals of Behavioral Medicine. The ability to move is one of the most striking blessings we have, and you are missing out on many health benefits if you are not using it.
The simplest way to keep your brain sharp and youthful is by moving. According to a new study from researchers in the Penn State College of Medicine, everyday

physical activity

has immediate benefits for brain health.

The study found that middle-aged individuals who engaged in everyday activities saw an improvement in

cognitive processing speed

comparable to being four years younger, regardless of whether the activity was low-intensity, such as walking the dog or doing household chores, or high-intensity, like jogging.

“You don’t have to go to the gym to experience all the potential benefits of physical activity. All movement is important. Everyday movement counts as a source of accumulated physical activity that could be credited toward a healthy lifestyle and may have some direct impact on

cognitive health

,” Jonathan Hakun, assistant professor of neurology and psychology at Penn State and the Penn State College of Medicine said in a press release.

Though previous research largely examined the impact of physical activity on cognitive health on a long-term basis, Hakun stated that he was rather keen to understand the potential short-term impact.

The study analyzed data from 204 participants aged between 40 and 65, residing in the Bronx, NY, with no history of cognitive impairment. The participants were recruited for the Multicultural Healthy Diet Study to Reduce Cognitive Decline & Alzheimer’s Risk, and half of them were Black or African American, and 34% were Hispanic.

The team found that when participants reported being physically active within the past 3.5 hours, their processing speed improved, equivalent to being four years younger. However, there were no observed improvements in working memory.
“We get slower as we age, both physically and cognitively. The idea here is that we can momentarily counteract that through movement. It’s compelling. There’s the potential for a brief walk or a little extra movement to give you a boost,” Hakun said.
(Pic courses: Pexels)