Nearly 50% of diagnosed dementia could have been avoided by modifying seven lifestyle habits.  In other words, half the number of people who have some form of dementia could have avoided all the headache (pun intended) had they been more careful about keeping tabs on those risk factors.

“But there are so many!” one might say. Seven separate habits to keep track of, above work and family commitments, seems like a lot. No wonder those risk factors fall through the cracks.

There is good news. There is a way to combine certain habits so that there aren’t separate amounts of effort being expended to keeping the brain healthy. Ever hear of a reading walking club? 

Take a normal reading club, and instead of meeting over biscuits while lounging about on sofas, agree on a walking course and discuss the book while walking about. This means that the bookreading stimulates the mind, the walking takes care of the physical activity (which could also positively affect any weight issues), and the discussions takes care of the socialization aspect of dementia prevention. An added bonus is that it makes the exercise fun for anyone who dreads physical activity because of the perception that it means solitary time – the conversation and social company will make the time go faster. For those who want to keep track of how much they walk (and to see if there any improvements), get a pedometer and compare progress made with each meeting session.

Can you think of any other ways to combine those seven habits? Chances are, by coming up with a combination, you will have already taken care of the cognitive activity requirement!