Relaxation... A Way to Reduce the Risk of Dementia
Making crafts, playing a musical instrument, solving puzzles, or reading reduces a person's risk of developing dementia by nearly a quarter, according to a new study conducted in Minneapolis. Follow this article to find out how fun activities can affect brain health.
The Effect of Leisure Activities on Brain Health
In an attempt to test how recreational activities affect brain health and reduce the incidence of mental illness, particularly dementia, a group of researchers reviewed 38 dementia-related studies from around the world that included two million people who did not have dementia and followed them for at least three years. Two million participants, 74,700 fell ill during that period. What is the difference in lifestyle between people who did not have dementia and those who did?
Well, the study focused on researching the extent to which these people engage in recreational activities. The recreational activities included in the research were categorized into mental, physical, and social categories as activities that people engage in for enjoyment.
The researchers concluded that mental activities, such as reading and watching TV, playing games or musical instruments, and making crafts had the greatest impact, as they contributed to a 23% reduction in people's risk of developing dementia, while physical activities, such as walking, dancing, and swimming, reduced the risk of dementia by 17%, whereas social activities, such as chatting with people, reduced the risk of developing dementia by 7%.
The Effect of Recreational Activities on Body’s Organs
Within this study, the researchers found that the effect of recreational activities does not stop at the brain only, but also affects the rest of the body positively, as rest, relaxation and various recreational activities contribute to reducing the risk of cancer and heart disease, noting that such activities are easy to integrate into daily life and may be beneficial for the brain and other parts of the body.
What are you waiting for? Go and relax!
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This article was previously published on UAE Moments.To see the original article, click here