The new secret to living in good shape after 65? To do the housework ! Daily household activities would keep you alert and slow cognitive decline, according to a study by the Singapore Institute of Technology.
Stop bitching at the stack of laundry or dishes lying around in the sink! A study published in the British medical journal by researchers at the Singapore Institute of Technology suggests that regular housework improves physical and cognitive functions.
For this study, the researchers recruited 249 people under 65 and 240 seniors over 65 and asked them about their habits in terms of household activities: how often and with what intensity they washed windows, changed the sheets on the bed, vacuumed, mopped the floor, ironed … They then calculated their physical and cognitive performance.
“Physical function was assessed using a short physical performance battery, repeated sitting-standing and walking speed. Cognitive and sensorimotor functions were assessed using tests neuropsychological state and physiological profile “explain the researchers.
>> Their conclusions? Cleaning up seems to have little impact on the health of younger children. But in seniors over 65, household chores are associated with better cognitive function, especially in terms of attention and memory. Seniors also have a better functional shape: they move better, more easily and have less risk of falling.
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Source:Cross-sectional associations of housework with cognitive, physical and sensorimotor functions in younger and older community-dwelling adults: the Yishun Study, British medical journal, November 2021
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