07/21/2018 / By Janine Acero
Aging may hinder a person’s physical activities, but one study found that regular exercise for healthy older people may help reduce their struggle to express themselves in words.
Researchers at the University of Birmingham found that the aerobic fitness levels of older adults were directly related to the occurrence of age-related cognitive lapses, such as a “tip-of-the-tongue” state, wherein a person has difficulty thinking of a particular word that he strongly believes he knows.
According to lead author Dr. Katrien Segaert, “Older adults free from medical diseases still experience age-related cognitive decline.”
The study, published in Scientific Reports, investigated the relationship between physical activity and temporary cognitive lapses, focusing on the “tip-of-the-tongue” phenomenon which occurs more frequently as people age. The researchers found that the degree of cognitive decline directly correlated to the level of a person’s aerobic fitness.
“In our study, the higher the older adults’ aerobic fitness level, the lower the probability of experiencing a tip-of-the-tongue state,” said Dr. Segaert.
The study involved 28 healthy older adults; 20 women with the average age of 70 and eight men with the average age of 67. They were subjected to a “tip-of-the-tongue” language test alongside 27 younger people (19 women around 23 years old, and eight men around 22 years old). The researchers then compared the test results of the two groups.
The test involved a “definition filling task” done on a computer. The participants were asked to name famous people in the U.K. (authors, politicians, and actors) based on 20 questions. They were also given 20 “easy” words and 20 “low-frequency” definitions and asked if they knew the word relating to the definition.
The participants also did a static bike cycling test which measured their aerobic fitness levels, as well as their ability to use oxygen during exercise.
“Our results also showed that the relationship between the frequency of tip-of-the-tongue occurrences and aerobic fitness levels exists over and above the influence of a person’s age and vocabulary size,” said Dr. Segaert.
“Older adults sometimes worry that tip-of-the-tongue states indicate serious memory problems but this is a misconception: tip-of-the-tongue states are not associated with memory loss,” she added. “In fact, older adults usually have a much larger vocabulary than young adults. Instead, tip-of-the-tongue states occur when the meaning of a word is available in our memory, but the sound form of the word can temporarily not be accessed.”
The research was conducted in collaboration with the University of Agder in Norway, the University of Leuven in Belgium and King’s College London.
There are different types of exercise for improving different parts of the body. Below are some exercises that are great for adults, as well as seniors. Note that for seniors, it’s important to first check with your healthcare provider before doing any exercise, to help guide your workout routines.
Exercise improves overall health and quality of life, no matter your age. Visit Slender.news for more workout tips for all ages.
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Tagged Under: aerobics, aging, Brain, cognitive health, cognitive lapses, disease prevention, exercise, exercise for seniors, fitness, longevity, mental health, mind body science, older adults, seniors, strength training