Light walking reduces dementia risk

[Anchor]

As the elderly population increases, awareness of dementia is also rising.

It has been found that dementia patients can significantly reduce their risk of death and help prevent memory decline by engaging in light walking exercises daily.

This is a report by medical correspondent Park Kwang-sik.

[Report]

This is an 80-year-old man who was diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment, the so-called pre-dementia stage, 13 years ago.

He engages in regular walking exercises for more than 30 minutes a day.

[Mr. Kim/Mild Cognitive Impairment Patient: "I have been consistent with my exercise. As a result, I have lost weight and improved my physical strength, so I feel like my cognitive function has also slightly improved."]

A study tracking over 60,000 dementia patients at Hanyang University Hospital found that even consistent low-intensity physical activities like 'light walking' can reduce the risk of death by up to 30%.

Even if exercise is started late after a dementia diagnosis, the mortality rate decreased by at least 20%.

[Park Gye-young/Professor of Family Medicine, Hanyang University Hospital: "Even if you are not out of breath, maintaining activity can improve overall cardiopulmonary health and delay cognitive decline, which can also benefit mortality rates..."]

In particular, walking exercises for dementia patients not only increase survival rates but are also effective in preventing memory decline.

[Kim Hee-jin/Professor of Neurology, Hanyang University Hospital: "When you exercise, it’s not just about moving your limbs; it helps maintain a command system that tells brain cells to stay alive, saying 'you are needed,' which can actually improve dementia..."]

The problem is that as dementia progresses, familiar places can feel unfamiliar, leading to reluctance to exercise.

It is important for family and those around to create conditions that allow for even a little activity.

Experts advise starting with three sessions of 10 minutes each per day and gradually increasing to consistently walking for more than 50 minutes daily.

This is KBS News, Park Kwang-sik.