A group of scientists from Singapore examined the connection between household chores as a form of physical activity and the preservation of cognitive function in older people. It turned out that washing floors, dusting and cooking can be a real salvation for an elderly person. The results were published in the journal BMJ. Previously, a similar study also found a positive effect of household chores on mental clarity in older people.
Moderate physical activity is known to promote well-being and normalize blood pressure, and it can also help improve the quality of life of a patient with dementia. For example, American scientists have found that older people with Alzheimer's disease cope better with cognitive tasks if they move more.
The new study involved two groups of volunteers: 249 people aged 21 to 64 years and 240 people aged 65 to 90 years. They all live in Yishun City in Singapore. Volunteers underwent a series of tests to assess cognitive function and the risk of falls — for example, they were asked to get up from a chair as quickly as possible and bend and straighten their knee. Participants also filled out questionnaires in which they answered questions about their daily physical activity and the amount of housework they performed. Most of those who regularly did household chores were, as expected, women.
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After adjusting the results for age, gender and other factors, it found that cognitive function scores in older adults aged 65 to 90 were 14% higher when they did an average of 131 minutes of housework per week. Among participants in the group from 21 to 64 years old, this figure was 8%. According to the study authors, lower rates among younger participants are most likely due to the fact that their baseline data is higher than in the older group, and cognitive function declines more slowly.
Scientists also found that cognitive abilities and memory properties were 5% higher in older people who did light and not burdensome household chores that did not require severe physical activity. The highest rates were among volunteers, who devote an average of 902 minutes per week to such activities. Their physical abilities were also better than participants who spent less time doing housework, and their risk of falls was lower.
“Housework is a purposeful activity that many older adults perform. Regardless of other physical activity, such activities are associated with improved memory and better protection against falls,” the scientists reported.