A recent study showed that not the time spent sitting, but the type of sedentary activity during leisure time impacts the risk of dementia.

Researchers used data of 146 651 people from the UK Biobank to investigate possible relation between sedentary leisure activity and dementia in older adults above 60 years old and found that the dementia risk was lower for those who did cognitively stimulating tasks while sitting, such as reading or using computers, compared  to those who spent time passively, such as watching TV.   

Researchers assume that the relatively greater intellectual stimulation from reading or computer use may compensate the negative effects of reduced blood flow in the brain while sitting for long periods.

Another surprising conclusion was that the level of physical activity didn’t impact the revealed link between sedentary behavior and dementia risk. Even in participants who were highly physically active, time spent watching TV was linked to an increased risk of dementia. In contrary, leisure time spent using a computer turned to reduce a dementia risk.

As you can see, the brain activity during sitting is independent from our physical activity. Making sure that both our mind and our body receive enough stimulation, may help us stay healthy and keep dementia away!

Curious? HERE is the source