It turns out how much sleep you need to get for your body to "count" as a workout
Physical activity is not as effective if you don't get at least six hours of sleep a night.Physical activity is good for health at any age. However, if a middle-aged person does not get enough sleep, exercise may not be enough to compensate for cognitive decline.
A new study from University College London (UCL) found that active adults in their 50s and 60s who sleep less than six hours a night have the same cognitive impairments in learning, attention and memory as those with more sedentary lifestyles.
Researchers used data from nearly 9,000 people age 50 and older. Their cognitive abilities were assessed using various tests over a 10-year period.
"Our study showed that a person needs enough sleep to get all the cognitive benefits of physical activity," explains Michaela Bloomberg of the Institute of Epidemiology and Health at University College London, lead author of the study. - This shows how important it is to consider sleep and physical activity together when thinking about cognitive health."
The study is published in The Lancet Healthy Longevity.