Warding off dementia means more reading, praying and listening to music: study

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For long-term brain health, older adults might want to carefully consider how they spend their downtime, according to a new study.

Researchers from the University of South Australia assessed the 24-hour activity patterns of nearly 400 people over age 60.

When it comes to brain health, the study found that the context or type of activity individuals engage in matters, news agency SWNS reported.

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Some sedentary behaviors are better for cognitive function than others, according to the findings, which were published in The Journal of Gerontology Series A. 

Mentally stimulating behaviors, such as reading, listening to music, praying, crafting and playing a musical instrument - as well as social behaviors like chatting with others - are beneficial for memory and thinking abilities, the study noted.

The research team referred to the "valuable insights" that could help reduce instances of cognitive impairment. More passive activities, like playing video games or watching TV, do not offer the same benefits as reading, praying and other activities, they noted.

More than 55 million people around the globe have dementia, according to estimates from the World Health Organization. Another 10 million new cases are diagnosed each year.

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Dr. Maddison Mellow, researcher at the University of South Australia, said that not all sedentary behaviors are equal when it comes to memory and cognitive health.

"In this research," she said, "we found that the context of an activity alters how it relates to cognitive function, with different activities providing varying levels of cognitive stimulation and social engagement."

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She said that scientists "already know that physical activity is a strong protector against dementia risk, and this should be prioritized if you're trying to improve your brain health," as SWNS reported.

"But until now, we hadn't directly explored whether we can benefit our brain health by swapping one sedentary activity for another."

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She went on, "And while the 'move more, sit less' message certainly holds true for cardiometabolic and brain health, our research shows that a more nuanced approach is needed when it comes to thinking about the link between sedentary behaviors and cognitive function."

It's wise to "prioritize movement that's enjoyable and gets the heart rate up," she also said.

And "even small, 5-minute time swaps can help."

A recent study published by the RAND Corporation in California also identified several major predictors occurring around age 60 that could likely lead to cognitive impairment and dementia in individuals by age 80, as Fox News Digital previously reported.

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Researchers evaluated 181 potential risk factors, including demographics, socioeconomic status, lifestyle and health behaviors, health history, psycho-social factors and more.

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The list of predictors, according to RAND, included "never exercising" and "low engagement in hobbies." 

The study results suggested that "maintaining good physical and mental health is beneficial not just to staying in shape, but also to staying sharp and delaying cognitive decline," study co-author Peter Hudomiet, a RAND economist in California, told Fox News Digital.

Melissa Rudy of Fox News Digital contributed reporting.