As we age we inexorably suffer a decline in both our physical and metal abilities, which can be made worse by conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. Now a study developed by the German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases and other German institutions shows that older people who exercise regularly can reverse the signs of aging in the brain. Of all the types of exercise, dancing is the one with the most profound beneficial effect.
” Exercise has the effect of slowing down or even counteracting age-related decline in mental and physical ability. In this study, two different types of physical exercise (dance and resistance training) are shown to increase the area of the body. Brain that declines with age already improves balance, “explains Kathrin Rehfeld, leader of the work.
The researchers had two groups of elderly people who were divided into two groups: in the dance group, 14 people between 67-71 years old and in the physical exercise group 12 people, between 68 and 71 years old . The older ones started a weekly course that lasted 18 months of learning dance routines or resistance and flexibility training.
Both groups showed an increase in volume in the hippocampus region of the brain. This is important, as this area is prone to age-related brain decline (and plays a key role in memory and learning, as well as maintaining balance) and is affected by diseases such as Alzheimer’s.
Although previous research has shown that physical exercise in general can combat age-related cognitive decline, it was unknown whether one type of exercise could be better than another in this regard.
To evaluate this aspect, the experts distributed different exercise routines to the volunteers according to the group, differing in that the traditional physical training was composed of repetitive exercises (such as cycling), and the dance group, on the contrary, faced a new dance challenge every week.
“We tried to provide our elders in the dance group with dance routines that constantly changed gender (tango, line dance, Latin dance …). In this way, the steps, the arm patterns, the speed and the rhythms changed every week to keep them in a constant learning process. The most difficult aspect for them was remembering the routines under the pressure of time and without any clue from the instructor, “Rehfeld clarifies.
According to the researchers, this additional challenge in the dance group would explain the perceptible difference between the balance of this group and those of the control group with traditional exercises and the improvement in the symptoms of cognitive decline associated with age.
“I think everyone would like to live an independent and healthy life, for as long as possible. Physical activity is one of the lifestyle factors that can contribute to this, counteracting several risk factors and slowing the decline related to the age. It is a powerful tool to set new challenges for the body and mind, especially in old age, “concludes Rehfeld.
This study is part of a larger collection of research examining the cognitive and neural effects of physical and cognitive activity throughout life.
Referencia: Kathrin Rehfeld et al, Dancing or Fitness Sport? The Effects of Two Training Programs on Hippocampal Plasticity and Balance Abilities in Healthy Seniors, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience (2017). DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2017.00305
