The exercises to do each week to lower your dementia risk

Dementia is the UK’s leading cause of death, with up to one million people in the UK thought to be living with the disease. But while there are genetic factors at play, environment and lifestyle choices also play a major role in your risk.

In 2024, the Lancet Commission on dementia identified 14 modifiable risk factors, many of which link directly to exercise. Physical inactivity in itself is a risk factor, as are high levels of “bad” cholesterol , high blood pressure, obesity and diabetes – all of which can be influenced by activity levels.

“Increasingly, we’re finding that dementia is really a heart and vascular disease and anything that’s good for the heart is likely to be good for the brain,” says Terry Quinn, professor in cardiovascular ageing and chair of geriatric medicine at