A new study finds that older adults who routinely exercise
can reverse signs of aging in the brain, and the physical activity that seems
to have one of the most profound effects is dancing. The findings are published
in the journal Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.
“Exercise has the beneficial effect of slowing down or even
counteracting age-related decline in mental and physical capacity,” said Dr.
Kathrin Rehfeld, lead author of the study based at the German Center for
Neurodegenerative Diseases in 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.”
For the study, elderly participants with an average age of
68 were assigned either to 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 brain region is prone to
age-related decline and can be affected by diseases like Alzheimer’s. The
hippocampus also plays a key role in memory and learning, as well as keeping
one’s balance.
While prior research has shown that physical exercise can
combat age-related brain decline, it was still unknown whether one type of
exercise is better than another. To assess this, the exercise routines given to
the study participants differed. The traditional fitness training program
primarily involved repetitive exercises, such as cycling or Nordic walking, but
the dance group was challenged with something new each week.
“We tried to provide our seniors in the dance group with
constantly changing dance routines of different genres,” said Rehfeld, citing
such forms as jazz dance, square dance, Latin 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.”
The researchers believe that these extra challenges account
for the noticeable differences in balance displayed by the participants in the
dancing group. The research team is now building on these findings to try out
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,” said Rehfeld.
“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.”
