Cleaning up around the house isn’t just meant for springtime! The health benefits of picking up around your place has been shown to be good for your brain. Plus, it’s pretty good exercise. So, if you’re someone who has never been too keen about house cleaning, you’ve got good reason to change your mind! New research shows that the physical activity of doing household chores is good for brain health—even reducing your risk for dementia. 

Physical Activity and Brain Health

Being physically active increases blood flow circulation throughout the body and to the brain. Moderate physical activity promotes a positive mood, helps you manage stress, and can reduce inflammation in the body. A large research study recently published in the journal, Neurology, showed it’s not just exercise (such as brisk walking, swimming, or bike riding) that supports brain health. Daily activity from doing household chores also showed protective benefits against risk for dementia. Don't worry, we aren't talking about "bucket full of cleaners, rubber gloves, and a mop" type of cleaning. Just the simple, day-to-day, chores.

Essentially, the study team wanted to know “What lifestyle habits can reduce risk for various forms of dementia?” 

It can be easy for us middle-aged adults to think that our aging parents, well into their retirement years, don’t experience stress. After all, they are no longer running frantic with the responsibilities of work, family, and community. Yet stress is a real issue for our aging loved ones. Often, symptoms of stress in an aging parent can be mistaken for symptoms of dementia.

Furthermore, chronic stress in older adults has even been linked to onset of dementia. It’s important for adult children and caregivers to understand sources of stress in older adults and how this differs from dementia symptoms.

A 2021 survey showed that 44% of older adults age 50-80 experience significant stress that affects how they feel, think, and function in daily life. Even in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, there has not been a significant change in rates of stress and stress related illness among American adults, including older adults.