Two activities that MILLIONS of people do while sitting increase the risk of dementia, experts warn

It is known that spending too much time on our butts can increase the risk of a host of diseases – from diabetes to dementia.

But scientists have found that when it comes to protecting the brain from age-related decline, there are a number of sedentary activities that can be helpful.

Researchers from the University of South Australia have developed a ‘hierarchy’ of leisure activities performed while sitting, and say some have more positive than negative brain effects.

At the top of the “helpful list” are activities that are said to be mentally or socially stimulating, such as reading, listening to music, praying, doing crafts, playing a musical instrument, or talking to others.

The scientists said this behavior improved memory and thinking skills, which helps protect against dementia later in life.

But the worst thing for the brain is watching television and playing video games.

A wealth of research has suggested that prolonged television viewing is linked to reduced gray matter in the brain – crucial for thinking, reasoning, decision-making and a host of other important cognitive functions.

Imaging studies show that the less gray matter there is in a person’s brain, the worse their cognitive skills are.

Experts believe this may be due to a lack of stimulation, which causes connections between brain cells to die.

For the new study, researchers assessed the 24-hour activity patterns of 397 people over the age of 60.

They then tested the participants’ cognitive skills using two written tests used by experts to detect signs of dementia or declining brain health.

Writing in the medical journal The Journals of Gerontology Series A, the scientists reported that those who spent more time on “mentally stimulating” sedentary activities performed much better on cognitive tests.

“We already know that physical activity is a strong protector against the risk of dementia,” said co-author Dr Maddison Mellow.

‘This should definitely be a priority if you’re trying to improve your brain health.

‘But until now we had not directly investigated whether we can improve our brain health by trading one sedentary behavior for another.

‘We found that sedentary behaviors that promote mental stimulation or social engagement – ​​such as reading or talking with friends – are beneficial for cognitive functions, while other behaviors, such as watching TV or gaming, have a negative effect.

People who regularly read books, play musical instruments or keep a personal diary have a 23 percent lower risk of developing the condition

‘So the type of activity is important.

“While the ‘move more, sit less’ message certainly applies to cardiometabolic and brain health, our research shows that a more nuanced approach is needed when it comes to cognitive function.”

Dr. Mellow advised older adults to alternate between more passive activities and engaging ones, even if just for five minutes at a time.

“Small time changes of five minutes can have benefits,” she said. “So if you’re really craving a movie marathon, try breaking up that time at some point with some physical activity or a more cognitively engaged sedentary activity, like reading.”

‘This way you can slowly build healthier habits.’

Polls have shown that around half of Brits say they enjoy watching four hours of consecutive episodes of television programmes.

The new study echoes previous findings about the risks of Netflix binges for brain health.

In 2019, British researchers published research showing that people watch television more than three and a half hours per day is associated with a decline in performance in word learning and task memorization.

The researchers first determined how much television 3,590 people over fifty watched on average per day.

They then categorized the study participants into five categories, based on how much television they watched.

The researchers also used tests to measure verbal memory and thinking twice – six years apart.

They found that watching television for more than three and a half hours a day is associated with poorer verbal memory.

Around 944,000 people in Britain suffer from dementia, with Alzheimer’s disease being the most common form.

According to Alzheimer’s Research UK, dementia was the leading cause of death in Britain in 2023 – 75,393 people died last year, compared to 74,261 in 2022 and 69,178 in 2021.

Research shows that about half of all cases are due to lifestyle factors such as smoking, poor diet, obesity, lack of exercise and low mental stimulation.