Exercise and Dementia: Improving Brain Function

Can older people who exercise regularly improve their health and lower their risk of getting dementia?

Preventing Dementia with Exercise

Dementia refers to a group of disorders that disrupt memory and cognitive function, and it is presently the seventh biggest cause of mortality globally. (World Health Organization, 2025) Approximately 10 million new cases of dementia are diagnosed annually on a global scale. (Yoon J.H. et al., 2023) A study on the interaction between exercise and insulin in the brain discovered that regular physical activity could improve brain function and potentially reduce the incidence of dementia. Researchers found that factors like.

• Hypertension
• Elevated blood glucose levels
• Age
• Augment the probability of acquiring dementia. (World Health Organization, 2025)

Muscles necessitate exercise and movement. Those who do not engage in physical activity develop inflexible muscles, which impede insulin’s ability to function effectively. The body becomes more responsive to insulin when it moves, as it softens and squeezes those muscles. Dementia may be prevented by identifying methods to decrease insulin resistance.

Physical Activity and Reduced Risk

Over two weeks, researchers observed 21 senior adults with prediabetes and discovered that exercise directly enhances cognitive function by assisting the brain in regulating insulin. The participants participated in 12 moderate- to high-intensity supervised exercise sessions. (Malin S. K. et al., 2025)

• The results demonstrated a notable rise in brain-derived extracellular vesicles containing insulin-associated proteins.
• These microscopic messengers are essential for brain maintenance and aid in neuronal communication.
• AKT (protein kinase B, or PKB) is a collection of three serine/threonine-specific protein kinases essential for regulating various cellular processes, such as cell survival, growth, metabolism, and cell cycle.
• The protein is considered a significant factor in insulin signaling and has ramifications for neuronal cell growth and health.
• Poor insulin response can cause dementia, so it’s important to consider that exercise might help prevent this by strengthening insulin signaling.

These results support the idea that physical activity may be an affordable and accessible means of promoting long-term brain health, even though additional research is required. In the study’s subsequent phase, researchers will employ MRIs and an insulin spray to learn more about how insulin impacts brain activity. To further understand the impact of the insulin spray, they will compare the blood flow in the brain before and after it is administered.

Insulin and Exercise are Crucial for Maintaining Brain Health

The pancreas produces insulin, a hormone that regulates blood sugar. However, its role in brain health is equally important. Because the brain is densely packed with insulin receptors, when insulin attaches to them, it facilitates neuron communication and strengthens synaptic connections, both of which promote memory and learning. (Gray, S. M., Meijer, R. I., & Barrett, E. J. 2014)

When insulin signaling doesn’t work right, like in type 2 diabetes, the brain is more likely to lose cognitive function. (Yoon J.H. et al., 2023) Insulin resistance has been linked to the accumulation of amyloid-beta plaques and tau tangles, both of which are hallmarks of Alzheimer’s disease. (Hong, S., Han, K., & Park, C. Y. 2021) These cognitive changes may be slowed or even prevented by enhancing insulin sensitivity. Aerobic exercise, in particular, has an advantageous impact on the brain’s overall health. Previous research has demonstrated that adults can improve or preserve their cognitive and memory abilities through physical activity. (Rosenberg A. et al., 2020) Additional strategies to improve brain health include

• Being socially active
• Putting the mind to the test
• Getting a good night’s sleep
• How to deal with stress
• Eating well
• Being active
• Taking care of diabetes
• Controlling blood pressure

The future of dementia prevention will likely involve a combination of lifestyle interventions, including exercise and medications, to achieve the most significant impact. Regular exercise has the potential to substantially reduce the risk of dementia in individuals with diabetes or prediabetes and to support the maintenance of optimal brain health.

Injury Medical Chiropractic and Functional Medicine Clinic

Dr. Jimenez treats various illnesses by integrating chiropractic care with her extensive medical training as a Family Practice Nurse Practitioner. Personalized treatment programs that emphasize natural healing, mobility, and long-term wellness are developed at our clinic by combining Functional Medicine, Electro-Acupuncture, Sports Medicine, and Acupuncture. Regardless of age or health issues, we enable patients to flourish by emphasizing agility, strength, and flexibility. We are dedicated to helping people recover from accidents and chronic pain syndromes at El Paso’s Chiropractic Rehabilitation Clinic & Integrated Medicine Center. Our agility, mobility, and flexibility programs are designed to help people of all ages and abilities reach their full potential. We employ virtual and in-person health coaching with complete care plans to guarantee that each patient receives individualized treatment and achieves their wellness goals.

Is Moving Important for Healing?

References

World Health Organization. (2025). “Dementia.” World Health Organization. from 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. doi.org/10.14283/jpad.2019.41