Move for your mind: Physical activity reduces your risk of dementia

Welcoming in a new year is an opportunity to reflect on what areas of our life we wish to change. As we welcome in 2026 could this be the year you decide to prioritise your brain health and what changes you can make to reduce or delay your risk of developing dementia in future.

In this blog we want to help you think about what changes you might want to make to boost your brain health. Each month, we’ll be exploring an evidence-based risk factor for dementia and sharing practical ways you can protect your brain. This month, we’re focusing on one of the 14 modifiable risk factors: physical activity.

Exercise or physical activity is one of those 14 modifiable risk factors. In 2019 the UK Chief Medical Officers’ (CMOs) physical activity guidelines stated a clear message about physical activity:

“If physical activity were a drug, we would refer to it as a miracle cure, due to the great many illnesses it can prevent and help treat.”

Research shows that regular physical activity may reduce your risk of dementia by up to 20% compared to people who don’t take regular exercise. Current guidelines recommend 150 minutes of moderate exercise a week (such as brisk walking or cycling) or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity exercise per week (such as running).

Yet many of us aren’t moving enough. Around 1 in 3 men and 42% of women fall short of these guidelines. Our population is around 20% less active than in the 1960s. If current trends continue, it will be 35% less active by 2030. By aiming for an ‘active lifestyle’ such as actively travelling, through walking/ cycling rather than driving we can hopefully reduce this trend as well as implementing other changes.