What Is Brain Ageing? Know How Sedentary, Unhealthy Lifestyles Accelerate It

What Is Brain Ageing? As individuals age, they experience a decline in cognitive ability and muscle mass and strength. Similarly, the human brain also undergoes changes with age.

Columbia University states that “the brain forms more than a million new neural connections every second. And by the age of 6, the size of the brain increases to about 90% of its volume in adulthood.” And by your 30s and 40s, your brain may begin to shrink, with the rate of shrinkage increasing after the age of 60.

However, a recent report by The Lancet suggests that age is not the sole cause of brain ageing. Growing evidence shows that sedentary and unhealthy lifestyles can accelerate this process.

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What is brain ageing?  

Brain ageing, in simple terms, is the gradual decline in brain function and structure as you get older. It includes "shrinking of brain volume, slower processing, and potential memory decline", highlights  Columbia University.

Can sedentary, unhealthy lifestyles accelerate brain ageing?

According to The Lancet report, researchers found that sedentary and unhealthy lifestyles accelerate brain ageing. However, regular physical activity, high cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF), or a combination of both can help slow down brain ageing, mitigate cognitive impairment, and reduce the risk of dementia.

Importance of high cardiorespiratory fitness

The review found CRF mediates the neuroprotective effects of exercise via mechanisms such as:

• Improved cerebral blood flow
• Reduced inflammation
• And enhanced neuroplasticity