Physical activity and dementia prevention: what type of physical activity is really effective?

is expected to increase with the aging population. Thus, strategies for preventing or delaying the onset of dementia are needed to help individuals remain independent for longer into old age. A wealth of research has investigated the potential for physical activity to act as such a preventative strategy and, while there is increasing evidence that being more active can reduce the risk of cognitive impairment, there is also much contradictory evidence. This research aims to rectify some of the conflicts between such studies. Methods: A UK-based controlled exercise intervention study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of a 12-week program of exercise on cognitive ability, including memory, attention and language. This crossover study recruited healthy men and women aged 40-65 years to complete programmes of different types of non-aerobic activity, specifically strength training and yoga. Following findings from Asian data that various types of physical activity can benefit memory and global cognition (Clifford et al., 2010), this study also aimed to investigate whether other cognitive domains could benefit from these physical exercise programmes as well as identify other variables that may be important in this relationship. Results: The data hint that participation in certain types of physical activity is particularly beneficial to maintaining cognitive ability in the elderly. A detailed analysis of the data will be presented, discussing possible mediating variables and the different cognitive abilities that may be affected, with a focus on how these relate to the experience of dementia. Conclusions: This research builds upon previous work to clarify the benefits of physical exercise to cognitive ability in older age. Combined with other data, these results can help to improve healthcare advice for those in middle and older age, enabling them to make informed choices about their lifestyle.