Want to reduce your risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease?
Get on your bike and ride, a new study recommends.
Biking regularly for transportation appears to lower risk of dementia by 19% and Alzheimer’s by 22%, according to results published June 9 in JAMA Network Open.
The results also suggest that cycling might even help increase the size of a brain region important for memory, researchers noted.
“Cycling is a moderate- to high-intensity workout, and also requires balance,” said Dr. Liron Sinvani, director of geriatric services at Northwell Health in Manhasset, N.Y., who reviewed the findings. “It requires more complex brain functions than walking, which is why maybe it was a better reducer of dementia risk.”
“It’s not about just doing exercise and making that part of your routine, but thinking about the way you live your life,” she added in a news release.
