Exercise and Dementia: Fighting Cognitive Decline

Is it possible for elderly individuals to improve their overall health and reduce their risk of developing dementia through consistent exercise?

Exercise and the Prevention of Dementia 

Dementia, an umbrella term for a group of illnesses that affect cognitive abilities, is the seventh worst killer in the world right now (World Health Organization, 2025). Around 10 million new instances of dementia are identified across the globe annually (Yoon J.H. et al., 2023). Physical activity has several health benefits, including a reduced risk of dementia, according to research into the brain’s insulin response to exercise. Researchers have identified factors like these.

• High blood pressure
• High blood sugar
• Age
• Increase the likelihood of developing dementia. (World Health Organization, 2025)

Moving about and working out the muscles is necessary. When people don’t move around much, their muscles stiffen up, and insulin works harder. When the body moves, the muscles are shortened and loosened, which increases insulin sensitivity. One possible strategy for warding against dementia is to find strategies to lower insulin resistance.

Exercise Can Help Lower the Risk

After two weeks of following 21 older persons with prediabetes, the researchers discovered that exercise improves cognitive performance by assisting the brain in regulating insulin. They worked out under supervision for 12 sessions, ranging from moderate to high intensity. (Malin S. K. et al., 2025)

• The results showed an upsurge in the number of extracellular vesicles originating from the brain that contained proteins associated with insulin.
• These microscopic mediators are essential for brain function and facilitate neuronal communication.
• AKT, also known as protein kinase B or PKB, is one of three serine/threonine protein kinases essential for cell proliferation, survival, metabolism, and cell cycle control, among other cellular functions.
• The protein impacts neuronal cell growth and health, which is thought to play a significant role in insulin signaling.
• Significantly, exercise may prevent dementia by potentially enhancing insulin signaling, as a poor insulin response can contribute to this condition.

Although further studies are required, these results support the idea that exercise could be a simple and inexpensive strategy to promote brain health in the long run. To further understand insulin’s effects on brain function, researchers will use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and an insulin spray in the next investigation stage. To understand the impact of the insulin spray, they will compare the brain’s blood circulation before and after its administration.

Promoting Brain Health with Insulin and Exercise

The pancreas secretes the hormone insulin, which controls blood sugar levels. But it’s equally important for brain health. Memory and learning are supported by the abundance of insulin receptors in the brain. When insulin binds to these receptors, it enhances neuronal communication and strengthens synaptic connections. (Gray, S. M., Meijer, R. I., & Barrett, E. J. 2014)

Conditions like type 2 diabetes, which are characterized by poor insulin signaling, put the brain at a higher risk of cognitive loss. (Yoon J.H. et al., 2023) Researchers have discovered that insulin resistance has a role in the development of Alzheimer’s disease hallmarks, tau tangles, and amyloid-beta plaques. (Hong, S., Han, K., & Park, C. Y. 2021) Enhancing insulin sensitivity may mitigate or avert these cerebral alterations. Aerobic exercise positively impacts total brain health. Prior research has demonstrated that physical activity improves or preserves adult cognitive function and memory. (Rosenberg A. et al., 2020) Other ways to increase brain health include

• Staying socially engaged
• Challenging the mind
• Getting restful sleep
• Stress management
• Healthy diet
• Staying active
• Managing diabetes
• Managing blood pressure

The future of dementia prevention will likely entail a synthesis of lifestyle modifications, including physical activity and pharmacological treatments, to achieve the most significant impact. Consistent physical activity may substantially diminish the likelihood of dementia in adults with prediabetes or diabetes and assist in preserving normal cognitive function.

Chiropractic and Functional Medicine Clinic for Injuries

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Can Movement Promote Healing?

References

World Health Organization. (2025). “Dementia.” World Health Organization. from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact sheets/detail/dementia#:~:text=Alzheimer%20disease%20is%20the%20most,60%E2%80%9370%25%20of%20cases.

Yoon, J. H., Hwang, J., Son, S. U., Choi, J., You, S. W., Park, H., Cha, S. Y., & Maeng, S. (2023). How Can Insulin Resistance Cause Alzheimer’s Disease?. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24(4), 3506. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24043506

Malin, S. K., Battillo, D. J., Beeri, M. S., Mustapic, M., Delgado-Peraza, F., & Kapogiannis, D. (2025). Two weeks of exercise alters neuronal extracellular vesicle insulin signaling proteins and pro-BDNF in older adults with prediabetes. Aging cell, 24(1), e14369. https://doi.org/10.1111/acel.14369

Gray, S. M., Meijer, R. I., & Barrett, E. J. (2014). Insulin regulates brain function, but how does it get there?. Diabetes, 63(12), 3992–3997. https://doi.org/10.2337/db14-0340

Hong, S., Han, K., & Park, C. Y. (2021). The insulin resistance by triglyceride glucose index and risk for dementia: population-based study. Alzheimer’s research & therapy, 13(1), 9. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13195-020-00758-4

Rosenberg, A., Mangialasche, F., Ngandu, T., Solomon, A., & Kivipelto, M. (2020). Multidomain Interventions to Prevent Cognitive Impairment, Alzheimer’s Disease, and Dementia: From FINGER to World-Wide FINGERS. The Journal of Prevention of Alzheimer’s disease, 7(1), 29–36. https://doi.org/10.14283/jpad.2019.41