Turns out your daily commute can affect more than just your road rage \u2014 it could also influence how your brain ages. New research published today suggests that how you get from point A to point B can significantly impact your risk of dementia. \u201cWe have about 55 million people living with dementia, and that number is expected to almost triple by 2050,\u201d Dr. Liron Sinvani, a geriatrician and researcher with Northwell Health who was not involved with the study, told The Post.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know that both genetic and environmental factors contribute to dementia, which leads us to: What are modifiable risk factors or things that we can change in our life to reduce our risk of dementia? And physical activity is one of the main factors that that has been raised over and over.\u201d That\u2019s why it may not be altogether shocking that a new study indicates cycling is the gold standard for commuting when it comes to staving off cognitive decline.<\/p>\n
\u201cOne of the hypotheses they raised was that cycling is a moderate- to high-intensity workout, and also requires balance,\u201d Sinvani said of the study. \u201cIt requires more complex brain function than walking, which is why maybe it was a better reducer of dementia risk.\u201d The study indicates that cycling is the gold standard for commuting when it comes to staving off cognitive decline. nuttawutnuy \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/span><\/p>\n If cycling to work sounds a bit too Danish to you, walking is still a worthwhile second \u2014 but you might want to steer clear of subways, buses or, yes, even Ubers. If cycling to work sounds a bit too Danish to you, walking is still a worthwhile second \u2014 but you might want to steer clear of subways, buses or, yes, even Ubers. Nexa \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAnother interesting thing they found was that even when using inactive travel like car or public transportation, it seemed like driving had a little bit better impact [on brain health] than public transportation,\u201d she said. That could possibly be due to the fact that driving requires more attention, coordination and decision-making skills, giving your brain more of a workout than zoning out on the train.<\/p>\n Ultimately, though, it\u2019s all about making lifestyle choices that are realistic but also give your brain a boost. \u201cWe know that not being socially isolated is important. So getting out and being active is super important,\u201d she said. To her, the study is \u201cnot about just doing exercise and making that part of your routine, but thinking about the way you live your life. So, instead of having to drive somewhere, taking that bike and using active travel modes to get around as part of your lifestyle becomes very important.\u201d <\/p>\n Whenever people ask her what they can do to stave off dementia, her biggest piece of advice is \u201cwhatever gets you outside doing stuff.\u201d \u201cI think we see that it\u2019s not just the physical activity, but it\u2019s also in the balance, and it really engages different parts of your brain,\u201d she said. If the choice is between walking and taking a bike, she would suggest going with the bike \u2014 but if it\u2019s between walking and staying home? \u201cI would say definitely walk,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n The latest study aligns with previous findings that say two of the most modifiable factors for reducing the risk of dementia are exercise and socializing. So, if you\u2019re really strapped for time, cycling to work with a friend is probably one of the best things you can do for your brain.<\/p>\n Introduction to Commuting and Dementia Risk Turns out your daily commute can affect more than just your road rage \u2014 it could also influence how your brain ages. New research published today suggests that how you get from point A to point B can significantly impact your risk of dementia. \u201cWe have about 55 million […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":18735,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"rank_math_lock_modified_date":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-18734","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health-wellness"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/nypost.com\/wp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F2%2F2025%2F06%2Fcaring-daughter-comforting-frustrated-unhappy-39621741_a83aa4.jpg?quality%3D90%26strip%3Dall&w=1920&resize=1920,1280&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18734"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=18734"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18734\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18736,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/18734\/revisions\/18736"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/18735"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=18734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=18734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/citystuff.com\/new-york\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=18734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Walking as a Second Best Option<\/h3>\n
The Impact of Inactive Travel<\/h3>\n
Lifestyle Choices for Brain Health<\/h2>\n
Making the Right Choice<\/h2>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n
FAQs<\/h2>\n
\n
\nA: Cycling is indicated as the gold standard for commuting to stave off cognitive decline, followed by walking.<\/li>\n
\nA: Cycling is a moderate- to high-intensity workout that requires balance, thus engaging complex brain functions.<\/li>\n
\nA: According to the study, driving may have a slightly better impact on brain health than public transportation due to the required attention, coordination, and decision-making skills.<\/li>\n
\nA: Exercise and socializing are identified as key modifiable factors for reducing the risk of dementia.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"