Exercising has clear health benefits. The positive effects of regular physical activity are manifold. Researchers have now discovered which sport works particularly well against mental decline and could therefore protect against cognitive decline in old age.
Sport not only ensures a fit body, but is also good for us from another point of view. Scientific evidence shows that regular exercise helps prevent back pain, type 2 diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular disease. Sport even helps with depressive moods and can strengthen the immune system. If that’s not enough reason to do sports at least once a week, there is another one: Sport also counteracts mental deterioration and can thus protect against cognitive decline in old age. Those who regularly exercise (especially after the age of 50) have a lower risk of developing dementia (FITBOOK reported). Researchers have now found out what kind of sport works particularly well against mental deterioration.
Which endurance sport is particularly good for mental performance?
Two researchers from McMaster University in Hamilton (Canada) wanted to find out whether the sport “orienteering” protects against mental deterioration better than other endurance sports. To do this, they surveyed 158 subjects aged between 18 and 87 from all over the world. 77 of the participants were male and 81 female. The average age of the respondents was 48 years. 114 of them actively participated in orienteering, while the remaining subjects practiced other sports such as running or cycling.
The participants had to fill out an online questionnaire that consisted of several parts. First, they were asked to provide personal information, then fill out a navigation strategy questionnaire and another on their memory. The orienteering participants had to answer other questions related to their sport.
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What is orienteering?
Orienteering is a sport that is not only physically but also mentally demanding. Because the runners have to find their way around the terrain using a map and a compass and thus reach fixed checkpoints. The aim is to run through the checkpoints in a fixed order as quickly as possible. Using the map and the compass, however, each runner decides for himself which route is the best or fastest for him. Orienteering is particularly popular in Scandinavian countries.
Athletes must quickly switch between multiple cognitive tasks and make instant decisions while moving across terrain at breakneck speeds. What is unique about this sport is that it engages different parts of the brain to perform active navigation. The runners have to process and execute their information in real time in order to reach the checkpoints as quickly as possible.
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Orienteers achieve better cognitive performance
After analyzing the survey, the researchers found that orienteers reported better spatial orientation and better memory than other endurance athletes. “When it comes to brain training, the physical and cognitive demands of orienteering have the potential to offer more than just physical exercise,” said study lead author Emma Waddington.ScieTechDailyquoted.
According to the researchers, the combination of physical exercise and navigation can stimulate certain parts of the brain that were already crucial for hunting and gathering in our ancestors. However, as we use more and more aids such as navigation devices in our everyday lives, this part of the brain atrophies. “Modern life may lack the specific cognitive and physical challenges the brain needs to thrive,” says study co-author Jennifer Heisz. If we don’t actively navigate in everyday life, we may lose this neural architecture.
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Practice orientation skills in everyday life
You don’t have to become an orienteer to guard against cognitive decline. The researchers recommend that you train your own orientation and navigation skills more in everyday life. Instead of using your smartphone or navigation system in the car, you should find your way around with a map and rely on your own ability to orientate yourself. You can also practice this wonderfully with a run, a walk or a bike ride.
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This is particularly important because the loss of orientation is one of the first symptoms of dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease. Those who have practiced orienteering for years or practice their orienteering skills frequently in everyday life may be better able to protect themselves against mental deterioration.