Nordic walking twice a week ‘could slow down progression of Alzheimer’s’
- Scientists in Italy followed 30 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s
- They found that Nordic walkers had better attention spans and processing speed
- Around 900,000 Britons suffer from dementia, with this number set to rise to 1.6 million by 2040
Practicing Nordic walking twice a week can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, a study has shown.
The craze for staying fit has become increasingly popular in recent years among those who want to stay active in old age and prevent heart disease.
Several studies have shown that it is better than other forms of activity at preventing heart disease because it provides intensive exercise to both the upper and lower parts of the body.
Now a team of scientists from the University of Molise in Italy has discovered that it can also keep dementia at bay in patients who are in the early stages of the disease.
Around 900,000 people in Britain suffer from dementia and this number is expected to rise to 1.6 million by 2040, in line with the aging population.
Several studies have shown that Nordic walking is better than other forms of activity in preventing heart disease because both the upper and lower parts of the body are intensively trained. Now a team of scientists from the University of Molise in Italy has discovered that it can also keep dementia at bay in patients who are in the early stages of the disease.
Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia. The disease can cause anxiety, confusion and short-term memory loss. Around 900,000 people in Britain suffer from dementia and this number is expected to rise to 1.6 million by 2040, in line with the aging population
The Alzheimer’s Society says that on average, someone is diagnosed every three minutes in Britain.
There is no cure, but new drugs are emerging that may at least slow its progression.
Nordic walking uses walking sticks to help you move forward during a brisk walk, giving you a more all-over workout than conventional walking itself.
Studies show that it works 80 to 90 percent of all the body’s muscles – compared to just 40 percent while walking or running.
A 2022 study found that Nordic walking was better than all other types of activities at improving the health of heart failure patients.
The latest study, published in the scientific journal Heliyon, suggests that people recently diagnosed with dementia may also benefit.
Scientists put 30 patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s through a series of treatments that could address their symptoms.
These include physiotherapy sessions to boost physical wellbeing, and music therapy – where singing or listening to favorite tunes counteracts memory decline.
Half of the group also did Nordic walking twice a week for six months.
The results showed that walkers scored higher in memory, attention span and brain processing speed.
They also performed better on tests of visual-spatial reasoning, such as mental arithmetic or tying shoelaces.
In a report on the findings, researchers said: ‘If these results are confirmed by larger studies, Nordic walking may be a safe and useful strategy to delay cognitive impairment in mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease.’