Some dementia risk factors you can't change. This one you can act on TODAY

Added: 2026-05-22

[00:00:00]Some dementia risk factors you can't change. This one you can act on before you finish watching this video. This is my 14 ways to reduce your dementia risk series. My name is Stephanie and I'm a doctor boarded in internal medicine and geriatrics. So we're talking about factors that you can change in midlife, which is ages 18 to 65 in this study.

[00:00:18]And there is one specific finding that from the research surprised even me. And it changes the way I counsel every single one of my patients about exercise. Physical inactivity is the fifth midlife risk factor identified by the Lancet Commission. And addressing it could reduce global dementia cases by 2%. A meta-analysis of 58 studies including nearly 258,000 people found physical activity was associated with a 20% lower risk of all-cause dementia. Here's the finding I want you to share with everyone you know. The biggest benefit came from going from complete inactivity to any physical activity at all. Not from going hard, just from starting something.

[00:01:03]Sustained physical activity across a lifetime appears more protective than short intense bursts. Now researchers have identified several reasons this works and they are probably all happening at the same time. You see, exercise reduces blood pressure and increases nitric oxide improving blood flow to your brain. In fact, we know that regular exercisers have larger brain volumes than people who are inactive. So here's what you can do right now. Start moving at any level.

[00:01:31]Even going from completely sedentary to a little active makes a meaningful, measurable difference. Aim for consistency over intensity. What you do across your entire lifetime matters more than occasional hard efforts. For older adults specifically, strength training and balance work counts, too. And they also reduce your fall risk. For now, just move in any way you can. Your brain is counting on it. And follow along for the remaining dementia risk factors, including a few that will surprise you.