From the Desk of a Doctor Newsletter
🧠 35 Minutes of Exercise Now Linked to Dramatically Lower Dementia Risk
For years, we’ve heard that exercise is “good for the brain.”
But how much activity actually makes a difference?
A new 2025 study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (PMID: 39826907) delivers one of the clearest answers yet.
Researchers followed nearly 90,000 adults using wearable activity trackers and found that just 35 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week was associated with a 41% lower risk of developing dementia over four years.
Yes — that’s about 5 minutes a day.
The Findings:
✅ 35 minutes/week: 41% lower dementia risk
✅ 35–69.9 min/week: 60% lower risk
✅ 70–139.9 min/week: 63% lower risk
✅ 140+ min/week: 69% lower risk
What counted as “exercise”?
Moderate-to-vigorous activity included brisk walking, jogging or running, cycling, swimming, and sports or recreational activities.
Why it matters:
The largest reduction in dementia risk occurred when people went from doing nothing to doing something. You don’t need long workouts or intense training — consistency matters more than intensity.
Takeaway:
Even small amounts of weekly movement may meaningfully protect brain health.
If you can move a little, your brain benefits a lot.
— Dr. Myro Figura, M.D.
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About the Author
I’m Dr. Myro, a board-certified doctor and med school educator who somehow ended up with over 6 million followers watching my science videos on
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I’ve published 60+ scientific abstracts and even written a book, but this newsletter is my favorite project. Here I get to share the good stuff — simple, actionable health tips delivered twice a week. Happy to have you here.
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