Early research suggests why exercise is so protective against brain disease

Even a little activity can help protect against some brain diseases, the research showed. (Peathegee Inc/Tetra images RF/Getty Images via CNN Newsource)

Upping your physical activity level may lower your risk of developing neuropsychiatric diseases such as anxiety, depression and dementia, according to new preliminary research.

And the protection for your brain applies no matter how intense your exercise is, “highlighting the importance of regular movement in promoting mental health,” said lead study author Dr. Jia-Yi Wu, a researcher at Huashan Hospital at Fudan University in Shanghai, China.

Researchers analyzed accelerometer data from more than 73,000 adults with an average age of 56 years old to compare their amount of physical activity with instances of neuropsychiatric diseases, according to the abstract published Thursday. The abstract is slated to be presented in April at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology in San Diego.

While the results have yet to be published in a full, peer-reviewed study, they are strengthened by the large sample size, the reliability of accelerometer data, and the large body of work supporting a strong connection between exercise and improved outcomes for conditions that affect the brain, said Dr. Scott Russo, Leon Levy Director of the Brain and Body Research Center at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City. He was not involved in the research.

“In this case, there’s so much data, both correlative and causative … that I’m pretty confident,” Russo said.

Different types of depression

The data showed that increasing physical activity and lowering sedentary time was helpful for conditions such as dementia and depression, and that isn’t a big surprise, Russo said.

Some studies have shown that exercise is as effective against depression as medications, he added.

To understand why exercise may be so helpful, it’s important to note that some researchers are starting to think of depression as not just one condition, but a collection of subtypes with different causes, Russo said.

About 25% to 30% of people with major depressive disorder may fall under the immunometabolic subtype, which is characterized by inflammation and altered metabolic function, he said.

Exercise may help to regulate the metabolic function and lower the inflammation behind this subtype of depression.

“That could be an effective way to treat patients with this particular subtype,” Russo added.

Any physical activity helps

The main takeaway from this study? Move more and spend less time sitting.

“Engaging in daily activities that burn calories, like walking or even gardening, plays a significant role in protecting your brain health,” Wu said in an email.

Particularly motivating is that the research showed all intensities of activity seemed to be beneficial.

“You don’t need to commit to intense workouts,” Wu added. “Even light-to-moderate activities can have a meaningful impact on your well-being.”

And just as an accelerometer was helpful in recording activity for the study, a device that helps you track your activity may be a good strategy to get moving more, Russo said.

Physicians and researchers often encourage people to get more activity, and yet the country’s health as a whole has not improved much, he added.

“It still requires active and intentional behaviours, and some of these digital technologies that are coming out have been shown to really help both with tracking and motivation,” Russo said.

A device to track activity can tell you whether you are getting enough or how much more you need, he added. Adults need at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity a week and at least two days of muscle strengthening activity a week, according to the current Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.

“It’s like a game to me now,” Russo said, speaking of his own device. “I set it at my minimum move target every day, and if I’m slightly lower on it and I’m not going to hit my target that day I might do laps around my house.”

Getting healthier as a population is going to take some strategy and intentional choices, he said.

“I think that’s one of the things that these digital technologies do, is provide that ability for the individual to really take ownership over it, to be able to track, collate and organize data in real time,” Russo said.

Article written by Madeline Holcombe, CNN