Study: Being couch potato actually sharpens your brain

A new study has challenged the 'couch potato' belief, saying when it comes to the brain and cognition abilities, some sedentariness are not all that bad so long as basic physical activity benchmarks are met. The study could be a bit of good news for a population that spend a significant amount of time sitting for work and for leisure, streaming their favourite movies and TV shows in these times of social distancing.

The research from assistant professor Aga Burzynska in the Colorado State University examined the association between sensor-measured physical activity and cognitive performance in a sample of 228 healthy older adults, aged 60 to 80. Published in the journal 'Psychology and Aging', the results showed that as expected, adults who engaged in more moderate-to-vigorous activity had better speed, memory and reasoning abilities.

However, the data also revealed that adults who spent more time sedentary performed better on vocabulary and reasoning tasks. The association between increased physical activity and improved cardiovascular and metabolic health is one that's well documented, according to Burzynska. But the link between different intensities of daily physical activity and cognitive health is less understood, especially in older adults.

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