New study shows Tai Chi could lower your risk of DEMENTIA… a week after research revealed the martial art can ease Parkinson’s symptoms

The ancient Chinese martial art Tai Chi could reduce the risk of dementia, according to a new study.

Scientists at the Oregon Research Institute asked more than 200 people over 65 with declining memory to complete a virtual Tai Chi program.

After five and a half months, they completed several tests to measure memory, orientation, sleep quality and depression – and the results were compared with a group that did stretching exercises.

Those who practiced a specific type of Tai Chi – which involved speaking words and phrases while holding positions designed to improve flexibility and balance – saw three times greater improvements in cognitive skills compared to the stretching group. Follow-up testing almost a year later showed continued improvements.

Tai Chi is an ancient Chinese martial art, which involves completing a series of movements designed to increase balance, focus and flexibility

Commenting on the results in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, the researchers said their findings show that the exercise plan “can potentially lower the risk of developing dementia.”

They added that the ‘magnitude of improvement’ seen in the study shows that Tai Chi ‘slow or counteract several years of cognitive decline and maintain the functional capacity essential for independent living.

It comes a week after Chinese researchers found that practicing Tai Chi was linked to slower decline in patients with Parkinson’s disease.

Experts from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China followed 330 patients with the progressive neurological disease for three years and found that those who practiced Tai Chi showed slower decline year after year than those who did not.

Tai Chi has shown benefits for both cognitive decline and Parkinson’s disease

The team found improvements in many different types of Parkinson’s symptoms: those that affect movement, such as stiffness and tremor, and non-mobility problems such as fatigue, speech problems and anxiety.

It is estimated that approximately one in ten Americans over the age of 65 has dementia – approximately 7 million people.

One notable patient is Die Hard actor Bruce Willis, 68, who was recently diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia, as revealed by his ex-wife Demi Moore earlier this year.

A common precursor to the condition is what is known as mild cognitive impairment (MCI) – in which memory, orientation and other cognitive functions are affected, but not enough to warrant a diagnosis of dementia.

Hollywood star Bruce Willis has been diagnosed with dementia, his ex-wife Demi Moore announced earlier this year. He married his current wife, Emily Heming-Willis, 45, in 2009

Demi Moore announced her ex-husband’s dementia diagnosis earlier this year in a heartfelt Instagram post in which she said he had problems with communication, among other things.

Research shows that approximately 10 to 20 percent of people over 65 with MCI develop dementia within a year; it is a major risk factor for the disease.

In the latest study, 304 elderly people with MCI were divided into three groups: one did an hour of regular tai chi twice a week for five and a half months, another did the same amount of simple stretching exercises, and the rest did a special type of martial art called cognitive improved Tai Chi.

All groups received instructions via video call and completed the exercises at home.

At the end of the experiment, scores for memory, attention, language, orientation and spatial awareness improved by an average of three points for those in the enhanced Tai Chi group.

Those who did regular Tai Chi improved by 1.7 points, and those who stretched by only 0.3 points.

Scientists have found that Tai Chi can also relieve tremors in Parkinson’s disease

Researchers also found that their ability to perform two tasks at once increased by 20 percent, while there was no change in the stretching group.

Experts aren’t entirely sure what’s behind this promising benefit. However, practicing thoughtful movements while memorizing specific phrases is thought to improve connectivity between different parts of the brain.

Other studies have shown that physical activity, including Tai Chi, can increase levels of the brain hormone dopamine, which performs multiple functions, including controlling movement and mood.

One of the hallmarks of Parkinson’s disease is a severe deficiency of dopamine, caused by the degeneration of nerve cells in the part of the brain called the substantia nigra, which controls movement.

IS BALLROOM DANCING GOOD FOR ELDERLY?

Older people are recommended to practice tango and ballroom dancing to reduce the risk of falling and injuring themselves.

In June 2017, dance scholar Dr Emma Redding, from the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, said that dance classes could help prevent falls, which are the biggest cause of emergency hospital admissions for pensioners in Britain and kill almost 5,000 people every year. come to life.

The slower, structured dance styles of tango and ballroom provide strength to the ankles and torso of older people, helping them maintain their balance.

Older people are at greater risk of falls because of muscle deterioration and loss of balance that come with age, as well as vision problems and the side effects of medications.

Older people are recommended to practice tango and ballroom dancing to reduce the risk of falling and injuring themselves

Dr. Redding also said dance lessons can help widows who are lonely, while the traditional music they waltz to can bring back valuable memories for people with dementia.

Before giving a talk at the Cheltenham Science Festival, she said: ‘Dancing takes physical risks that you wouldn’t take on your own. You shift your weight from side to side, front to back, in a way you wouldn’t do while walking.

‘This helps with the stability of the ankles and core and gives people much more confidence when moving in everyday life.

‘Posture adjustment is very important in preventing falls in the elderly and can help keep them safe.’

Dancing burns six calories per minute for the average person, compared to 10 calories per minute for football.

This is especially good for older people, who typically don’t meet the guideline of 150 minutes of moderate exercise and two or more days of strength training per week.