Slash Your Dementia Risk 45%… Starting TODAY
I’m just back from my annual elk hunting trip – and it’s always one of the highlights of my year.
Whether I’m trudging through the mountain snow, admiring the tall pines, or sleeping under the stars at night, I’ll tell you exactly what’s going through my mind.
Gratitude.
Because I’m in my 70s now, and I’m still able to do all of the things I love – and I know too many people my age who can’t.
If that sounds like you, if poor health or other complications are keeping you from the active lifestyle you deserve, I have a message you need to hear.
Don’t give up.
Because a major new study is showing that just a few small changes – ones you can start today – could slash your risk of developing dementia by a whopping 45%.
And I’m going to show you exactly how to get started.
When I talk to seniors about getting more active, one of the main excuses I hear is that it’s too late.
They think they’ve already ruined their health, the die is cast, and increasing their activity levels won’t do any good.
But a new study out of Boston University is showing that this is completely false.
Researchers took more than 4,000 people from the famous Framingham Heart Study and broke them down into three age groups — 26 to 44; 45 to 64; and 65 to 88.
Those with high physical activity late in life were a staggering 45% less likely to develop dementia than their low‑activity peers.
That’s right – they cut their dementia risk nearly in HALF, just by being active.
Interestingly, the study found that being active early in your adulthood had no real impact on dementia risk.
So those 5Ks you ran in your 20s don’t count… but what you do now, in your senior years, can count for everything.
I don’t expect you to hike miles in nature or chase down elk in the mountains like I do. But, trust me, there’s plenty you can do.
When I’m working with patients, I try to find something that they enjoy and will stick with… and then we start small.
If you’re starting from zero, that could be taking a walk around the block every day with friends – or dusting off that bicycle that’s been sitting in your garage for years.
I think it’s especially important for seniors to work on their strength and flexibility, which is why I regularly practice yoga.
There are plenty of yoga options for seniors, and your local senior center may even have a course to get you started. If you have mobility issues, you can even begin with something known as “chair yoga,” which will get you moving and give you additional support.
The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension has some great poses to get you started, or you can find many guided instructional videos online.
View Sources
Marino, F. R., Lyu, C., Li, Y., Liu, T., Au, R., & Hwang, P. H. (2025). Physical activity over the adult life course and risk of dementia in the Framingham Heart Study. JAMA Network Open, 8(11), e2544439. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.44439
