A nurse has revealed a surprisingly simple daily activity that takes just ten seconds and could help reduce your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. The exercise, designed to activate both sides of the brain, aims to break the cycle of stress, which is a known contributor to inflammation linked to dementia.
The Simple 10-Second Brain Drill
Maryann, a US-based nurse who frequently shares content on Alzheimer's awareness, advocates for this straightforward coordination drill. Having lost her grandmother to the disease and with her father currently living with it, she collaborates with an Alzheimer's prevention project. She stresses that while many associate the condition with old age, its onset can begin decades earlier.
"Most people think Alzheimer's starts at 65, but nope. It starts decades earlier, in your 30s," Maryann explained.
The technique is a bilateral coordination exercise:
- Take both hands and press the tip of your index finger against your thumb, making a pinching shape.
- Repeat this motion with your middle finger, then your ring finger, and finally your pinky finger on each hand.
- Next, reverse the sequence, starting with your pinky and working back to your index finger, touching each to your thumb.
Practising this sequence for a minimum of 10 seconds daily is believed to reinforce neural pathways, enhance concentration, and interrupt stress.
How Stress and Inflammation Affect the Brain
The Alzheimer's Society acknowledges that while stress does not directly cause dementia, it may contribute to its onset or progression. This is because chronic stress and the resulting inflammation can cause the hippocampus – the brain's crucial memory centre – to physically shrink.
Maryann elaborated on the exercise's purpose: "This is a 10-second bilateral coordination drill. This is activating both sides of your brain. This is going to help boost focus, improve neural pathways and interrupt stress. And we all know that stress is one of the main drivers of inflammation in the brain."
She added that daily habits like this help improve brain-to-body communication and build cognitive resilience over time.
A Holistic Approach to Lowering Dementia Risk
While no single activity is a guaranteed shield against dementia, such exercises can be a beneficial component of a broader risk-reduction strategy. The Alzheimer's Society emphasises that a combination of lifestyle changes offers the best defence.
Key steps to help lower dementia risk include:
- Increasing physical exercise
- Reducing alcohol consumption and quitting smoking
- Improving mental health and staying socially active
- Managing long-term conditions like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes
- Protecting your eyesight, hearing, and head from traumatic injury
For comprehensive information and support, individuals are encouraged to visit the Alzheimer's Society website. Incorporating small, consistent habits like the 10-second coordination drill may form a valuable part of a proactive approach to long-term brain health.
