A new randomized controlled trial aimed to investigate the effects of a 12-week therapeutic exercise program on cognitive function and daily activities in patients with mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD). A total of 171 patients with mild AD were randomly assigned to three groups: Group A (aerobic and resistance exercise), Group B (resistance exercise), and Group C (control group). Group A performed a weekly program consisting of 5 days of 30 minutes of walking and 3 days of resistance exercises for about 45 minutes. Group B followed only the resistance exercise program, similar to Group A. Group C did not participate in any exercise program.
The results showed significant improvements in cognitive function and instrumental activities of daily living for both exercise intervention groups (Group A and Group B) compared to the control group (Group C). The aerobic and resistance exercise group (Group A) showed greater improvements in various cognitive domains, such as attention, memory, verbal fluency, language, and visuospatial ability, compared to the resistance exercise group (Group B). Both exercise groups demonstrated positive effects on cognitive function, working memory, executive function, and instrumental activities of daily living.
So, what did the participants actually do for their exercise routines? Participants that did aerobic exercise followed a weekly program that included 5 days of walking for about 30 minutes each day. The aerobic exercise was performed at home, and the intensity was set to be moderate, defined as 64-76% of their maximum heart rate (calculated by subtracting their age from 220). The resistance training group worked out 3 days a week for 40-45 minutes at an intensity of 50-70%. Each session, they performed 2 sets of 12 repetitions of the following exercises:
- Bicep arm curl
- Shoulder flexion
- Shoulder abduction
- Shoulder extension/hyperextension
- Triceps extension
- Hip flexion
- Knee extension
- Hip abduction
- Hip extension
- Hamstring curls
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