Researchers have found that even small amounts of weekly physical activity can help reduce the risk of developing mild dementia. The findings come from a long-term study conducted in Mexico City, offering the first evidence of its kind from Latin America.

“This longitudinal analysis suggests that the weekend warrior physical activity pattern is associated with a reduced risk of mild dementia,” the researchers reported.

The term ‘weekend warrior’ refers to individuals who exercise once or twice per week. The study found that these participants had a 15% lower risk of developing mild dementia, compared to those who did not exercise at all. Those who were more regularly active—exercising three or more times per week—had a 10% lower risk.

“To the best of our knowledge, this is the first prospective cohort study to show that the weekend warrior physical activity pattern and the regularly active physical activity pattern are associated with similar reductions in the risk of mild dementia,” the authors said.

One or two sessions of sport and exercise per week

Importantly, the study highlights that “even busy people can gain cognitive health benefits from taking part in one or two sessions of sport and exercise per week.”

The findings are based on data from over 10,000 participants in the Mexico City Prospective Study, which began in the late 1990s. Cognitive function was measured using the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), and the researchers adjusted their analysis to account for factors such as age, income, smoking status, diet, and blood pressure.

“We found that around 10% of cases would be eliminated if all middle-aged adults were to take part in sport or exercise once or twice per week or more often,” the researchers noted.

The number of people living with dementia is predicted to increase from around 57 million cases globally in 2019 to around 153 million cases in 2050. The study offers hope that small changes in lifestyle, even just a couple of workout sessions a week, can make a big difference.

“This study has important implications for policy and practice because the weekend warrior physical activity pattern may be a more convenient option for busy people around the world,” the researchers said.

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