“As
we grow older we suffer a decline in mental and physical fitness, which can be
made worse by conditions like Alzheimer's disease. A new study, published in
the open-access journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, shows that
older people who routinely partake in physical exercise can reverse the signs
of aging in the brain, and dancing has the most profound effect.
“‘Exercise
has the beneficial effect of slowing down or even counteracting age-related decline
in mental and physical capacity,’ says Dr Kathrin Rehfeld, lead author of the
study, based at the German center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Magdeburg,
Germany. ‘In this study, we show that two different types of physical exercise (dancing and
endurance training) both increase the area of the brain that declines with age.
In comparison, it was only dancing that lead to noticeable behavioral changes
in terms of improved balance.’
“Elderly
volunteers, with an average age of 68, were recruited to the study and assigned
either an eighteen-month weekly course of learning dance routines, or endurance
and flexibility training. Both groups showed an increase in the hippocampus
region of the brain. This is important because this area can be prone to
age-related decline and
is affected by diseases like Alzheimer's. It also plays a key role in memory
and learning, as well as keeping one's balance.
“While
previous research has shown that physical exercise
can combat age-related brain decline, it is not known if one type of exercise
can be better than another. To assess this, the exercise routines given to the
volunteers differed. The traditional fitness training program conducted mainly
repetitive exercises, such as cycling or Nordic walking, but the dance group
were challenged with something new each week.
“Dr
Rehfeld explains, ‘We tried to provide our seniors in the dance group with
constantly changing dance routines of different genres (Jazz, Square,
Latin-American and Line Dance). Steps, arm-patterns, formations, speed and
rhythms were changed every second week to keep them in a constant learning
process. The most challenging aspect for them was to recall the routines under
the pressure of time and without any cues from the instructor.’
“These
extra challenges are thought to account for the noticeable difference in
balance displayed by those participants in dancing group. Dr Rehfeld and her
colleagues are building on this research to trial new fitness programs that
have the potential of maximizing anti-aging effects on the brain.
“‘Right
now, we are evaluating a new system called ‘Jymmin’ (jamming and gymnastic).
This is a sensor-based system which generates sounds (melodies, rhythm) based
on physical
activity. We know that dementia patients react strongly when listening to
music. We want to combine the promising aspects of physical activity and active
music making in a feasibility study with dementia patients.’
“Dr
Rehfeld concludes with advice that could get us up out of our seats and dancing
to our favorite beat. ‘I believe that everybody 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 down age-related decline. I think dancing is a powerful tool
to set new challenges for body and mind, especially in older age.’”
This
study falls into a broader collection of research investigating the cognitive
and neural effects of physical and cognitive activity across the lifespan.
More
information:
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
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