Cleaning, cooking and other similar activities increase gray matter volume in the brain, a study published in BMC Geriatrics has found.
Physical activity is good for you. But not everything is known about it
There is a scientific consensus that unhealthy lifestyle factors increase the risk of cognitive impairment and, ultimately, dementia. At the same time, physical activity is considered an effective measure of maintaining cognitive abilities.
Different types of activities fall under the definition of physical activity, including professional activity, housework, exercise in leisure time . There are many gaps in the data on how different types of physical activity affect brain health. They need to be closed in order to develop an effective dementia prevention strategy.
Exercise at work was more harmful than physical activity in your free time
The first major study of the association of physical activity with the risk of death, heart attacks and strokes.
Read the article < p>Previously, most of the research in this area has focused on leisure time physical activity. They have shown that moderate to vigorous exercise and good aerobic endurance are associated with increased gray matter volume and improved white matter integrity (1, 2, 3, 4). What's more, a number of studies have shown that gray matter can increase even in people who start exercising at an older age (1, 2). Similar effects are associated with the overall level of activity.
Housework is good for the brain
The authors of the new study emphasize the importance of studying the role of homework in the context of brain health, since such activities (cooking, cleaning and others) are an integral part of the lives of a large number of people. They naturally resist a sedentary lifestyle.
“Scientists already knew that exercise has a positive effect on the brain. But our study shows for the first time that this is true for housework,” said Noah Koblinsky of Bycrest Hospital in Toronto, an exercise physiologist and lead author of the study.
The new study involved 66 elderly people who do not suffer from cognitive impairment. Scientists compared participants' gray matter volume with how much homework they do.
Cognitive functions. What is it and how are they violated
Cognitive impairment is one of the most urgent medical problems of our time. These functions of the psyche are affected in dementia, the prevalence of which is constantly growing. Understanding what cognitive functions are, what their disorders may look like, how they are diagnosed.
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Study participants were asked how often they wash the floor, dust, cook, shop, do heavy work housework, yard and garden work, childcare and so on. To study the structure of the brain, the authors of the study used magnetic resonance imaging.
It turned out that the more elderly people are involved in housework, the more gray matter they have, regardless of how often they exercised in their free time. The amount of gray matter they had increased in the frontal lobe of the brain and the hippocampus (a department that plays an important role in learning and memory).
Scientists have listed several mechanisms by which housework can hypothetically affect gray matter volumes. Like low-intensity aerobic exercise, they can improve heart and vascular health. The regular planning and organization required for household chores can help form new neural connections in the brain. Finally, reducing the amount of sedentary time, which is associated with a wide range of detrimental health effects, including improved cognition.
These data, according to scientists, can motivate people to be more active. At a formal level, they should lead to a change in recommendations for the prevention of dementia.