Dementia patients ‘can benefit from holistic exercise programmes’

New research from the UK has shed light on the potentially significant benefits that holistic exercise programmes can offer for dementia patients.

Carried out by Teesside University, the study saw 15 participants enrolled in the Happy Antics programme, an exercise plan focusing on both mind and body, to help improve their quality of life.

Designed to take the emotional, intellectual, social, and spiritual health of patients into consideration, it incorporated cognitive exercises with elements of yoga, tai chi, qigong and meditation, as well as routine physical activity.

The participants were shown to have found the sessions both enjoyable and helpful, resulting in improvements to their memory recall capabilities.

Lead investigator Dr Yvonne Khoo of the Health and Social Care Institute at Teesside University said: "This suggests that participating in holistic exercise may offer some relief in burden for caregivers as they face many challenges in providing care for patients with dementia, including physical and psychological distress."

It is estimated by the NHS that one in three people over 65 will develop dementia. The number of people with the condition is increasing in the UK due to the ageing population.