Fox News: To reduce dementia risk, seniors should take up this outdoor activity, study suggests

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To reduce dementia risk, seniors should take up this outdoor activity, study suggests

Researchers from the University of Edinburgh found that gardening has positive benefits for cognitive health as people age, per a study that followed participants for a lifetime.......                    ...                        ...Gardening could help aging adults stay sharp You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, according to a recent study published in the Journal of Environmental Psychology.......Researchers at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland found that tending to gardens at an older age is associated with "small but detectable cognitive benefits."......The long-term study tracked participants who shared details of their lifestyles and completed "frequent assessments" of their thinking skills up to age 90.......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......The "Lothian Birth Cohort 1921" study followed people who were born in the Edinburgh area, starting at age 11. The participants regularly took an intelligence test known as the Scottish Mental Survey of 1932. ......Hundreds of participants sat for the same exam at age 79.......Out of 467 participants, 31% had never gardened, while 43% gardened regularly.......The results revealed that the 280 who You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login or occasionally showed "greater lifetime improvement in cognitive ability compared with those who never gardened or rarely did so."......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......Between the ages of 79 and 90, the participants' cognitive ability — including memory, problem-solving and word fluency — declined in general, but the researchers found that the "earlier advantage of gardeners endured."......Study co-author Dr. Janie Corley wrote in a press release how identifying behaviors that "facilitate You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login are of major public interest for the prevention of cognitive decline and dementia."......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......"Gardening is a key leisure activity in late adulthood," she said. "Engaging in gardening projects, learning about plants and general garden upkeep involve complex cognitive processes, such as memory and executive function." ......She continued, "Consistent with the 'use it or lose it' framework of cognitive function, more engagement in gardening may be directly associated with a lower risk of cognitive decline."......You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login......Dr. Azza Halim, MD, an anti-aging specialist, noted that gardening has been studied as an anti-aging activity for seniors, providing physical, mental and You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login, including for longevity and cognition.......Gardening also counts as "low-impact exercise" that is beneficial for cardiac health and circulation, the physician added......."It provides mental stimulation to reduce cognitive decline, as well as fostering mental and emotional well-being, relaxation and You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login," she said. ......"At any age, it is important to engage in physical and social activities to maintain youthfulness — and more so in later years to stave off high blood pressure, depression, weight gain and cognitive decline."......The researchers noted that their work cannot prove a direct correlation between gardening and improved cognitive ability, as factors like available greenery and social interactions could have impacted these results.......The study is supported by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Executive Health Department. ......Fox News Digital reached out to the researchers for comment....

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