A new study found that certain sitting activities can boost cognitive function

Study Reveals the Best (and Worst) Activities for Your Brain While You're Sitting Down Here are the best (and worst) sedentary activities for brain health

• Certain sitting activities like reading, crafting, and socializing are more beneficial for brain health than other behaviors like watching TV, a new study found.
• Despite being sedentary, the beneficial activities engage the brain with mindfulness and problem-solving.
• Experts say the “move more, sit less” motto is still true, but a blend of physical activity and mental engagement is best to prevent cognitive decline.

It’s long been clear that sedentary behavior may be a risk factor for cognitive decline. But now, new research shows that not all sedentary behaviors are created equal when it comes to brain health. 

In a new study published in The Journals of Gerontology, researchers at the University of South Australia compared how different sedentary activities affect cognitive function. They found that social or mentally stimulating activities such as reading or crafting were beneficial for memory and thinking abilities. Yet more passive activities like watching TV were detrimental. 

The study’s results may have implications for dementia risk, study author Maddison Mellow, PhD, a postdoctoral research associate at the university’s Alliance for Research in Exercise, Nutrition and Activity, told Health.

Though the study didn’t look at dementia outcomes, per se, she said cognitive function is a good measure for the potential progression of Alzheimer’s disease, which affects an estimated 6.7 million Americans.

“In fact, for dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease, changes can start to happen in the brain over a decade before any cognitive changes appear,” she said.

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Comparing Sedentary Activities

According to Mellow, previous research had already linked some sedentary behaviors, like reading or computer use, with improved cognitive function.

“This means that to optimize 24-hour activity and sleep patterns for cognitive function, we may need to take a more nuanced approach and study the types of behaviors people are engaging in, rather than treating all sitting or active behaviors the same,” Mellow said.

Her team set out to do just that. They began with data from a large Australian study called ACTIVate, which included 397 dementia-free older adults aged 60 to 70. Participants completed questionnaires asking about the activities they engaged in for the previous two days.

To see how activities impacted brain function, the researchers analyzed results from two tests: a paper-and-pencil-style screening tool that assesses five domains of cognitive function and a computer-based cognitive assessment.

When people engaged more in socializing, exercising, or doing “quiet time” activities like reading, listening to music, or religious practice, their scores increased. On the other hand, researchers found a link between lower scores and behaviors like watching TV or playing video games. 

The study wasn’t without a few limitations, however. “The research predominantly relies on self-reported data regarding sedentary behaviors, which may be subject to biases or inaccuracies,” Hayley Nelson, PhD, a neuroscientist and founder of The Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience who was not affiliated with the study, told Health.

She also noted that the study’s design makes it difficult to establish a cause-and-effect relationship between physical activity, sedentary behavior, and cognitive function.

What Makes Certain Sedentary Activities Helpful or Harmful 

Among sedentary behaviors that are helpful for cognitive health, there seems to be a common thread. “Those sedentary behaviors that have potential to engage the mind (rather than passive processing) seem to help improve cognitive function,” Ian M. McDonough, PhD, an associate professor of psychology at Binghamton University SUNY, told Health in an email.

“Activities like crafting, reading, playing an instrument, and praying are cognitively engaging, and people who engage in those activities benefit from the mental stimulation, mindfulness, and problem-solving they require,” added Patricia Boyle, PhD, a professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Rush University and Trustee of the McKnight Brain Research Foundation. 

“In contrast,” she said, “passive sedentary activities like watching TV have been associated with unfavorable cognitive outcomes in older adults.” These activities are visually stimulating but don’t require much mental effort.

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Should You Focus on Physical or Mental Activities for Cognitive Benefits?

Considering the study’s findings, you might wonder whether you can prevent dementia simply by reading a book or hanging out with friends. But just because non-passive sedentary activities may offer relative benefits, that doesn’t mean they should replace physical activity.

In fact, the research also showed that physical activity remains a major factor in brain health. “In our study, we found that the ‘move more, sit less’ message certainly remains true,” Mellow said.

According to experts, a balance of physical exercise, mental activities, and other behaviors is optimal for cognitive well-being.

“Adopting a combination of healthy behaviors, including both physical activity and staying socially and intellectually engaged, is important to maintaining cognitive health with advancing age,” Boyle said. “Getting the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep, not smoking, keeping your heart healthy, following a healthy diet, prioritizing mental health, and pursuing new learning challenges are also important components to maintaining cognitive health.”

According to McDonough, it’s also possible that people may respond differently to dementia prevention strategies.

“We know that the aging process does not impact the brain uniformly and does not impact each person the same,” he said. “For this reason, more intervention research is moving toward ‘multimodal’ interventions where multiple avenues are attempted to improve cognitive health.”

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How to Boost Cognitive Health, Especially During the Holidays

If you’d like to get into tip-top cognitive shape, there’s no shortage of ways. Then again, the holiday season (and winter months in general) can pose challenges to flexing your mental and physical muscles.

The business of the season might leave less time for quiet, stimulating activities. At the same time, colder temperatures might damper your usual workouts. 

Boyle recommends using the holidays to foster social connections with activities like volunteering at a food bank or attending community events. Meanwhile, Nelson advises taking your workouts indoors with a yoga, Pilates, or strength training session at home or the gym.

And if your holiday celebrations involve a spiritual component, embrace it as part of your cognitive wellness toolkit. “Mindfulness meditation or prayer help reduce stress, provide introspection, and boost mental clarity,” Nelson said.

Why Winter May Be the Hardest Season for Weight Loss, According to Experts Edited by Health with a background in health, science, and investigative reporting. Previously, she wrote full time about parenting issues for the app Parent Lab. Before that, she worked as a reporter for National Geographic covering wildlife crime and exploitation." tabindex="0" data-inline-tooltip="true"> Jani Hall Jani Hall Jani Hall is a news editor for Health with a background in health, science, and investigative reporting. Previously, she wrote full time about parenting issues for the app Parent Lab. Before that, she worked as a reporter for National Geographic covering wildlife crime and exploitation. learn more

This story originally appeared on: Health News - Author:Sarah Garone, NDTR