Regular physical activity at midlife and beyond may help lower dementia risk

Being physically active in midlife and older age may be more important to cognitive health than doing so during early adulthood, according to a study published online Nov. 19, 2025, by JAMA Network Open.

Using data from the Framingham Heart Study Offspring cohort, which began in the early 1970s, researchers identified about 4,300 participants who had each undergone a physical activity measurement during one of three life stages: early adulthood (ages 26 to 44), midlife (45 to 64), or late life (65 to 88). The researchers used participants’ reports of the time they spent in light, moderate, and heavy activity to produce a score that represented their activity level.

Comparing these scores to the participants’ health in the following years (until the study ended in 2023), the researchers observed that people who’d engaged in the highest amounts of physical activity in midlife and late life had a 36% to 45% lower risk of developing dementia compared with those who were least active. (Physical activity in early adulthood showed no link to dementia risk.)

The findings show only an association, but the researchers emphasized that making regular physical activity a habit as you age could be a key to cognitive protection.

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