When it comes to maintaining physical health, improving one's lifestyle and diet is often recommended. Your health depends largely on how physically active you are and whether you exercise daily. That is why health experts worldwide advise everyone to engage in at least 30 minutes of exercise daily, totaling a minimum of 150 minutes per week. If you cannot go to the gym, you can still reap health benefits by keeping your body active through moderate exercises like running, walking, or cycling. Indeed, exercise is considered a fundamental measure for good health.

However, a new study has complicated this picture somewhat. Researchers state that while exercise is essential for physical health, engaging in extremely strenuous labor throughout the day can actually cause harm rather than provide benefits.

The study found that manual labor, construction work, or jobs involving heavy lifting can directly damage the brain; individuals in such professions face a significantly higher risk of developing major brain-related conditions like Alzheimer's and dementia later in life.

The crucial question arises: if exercise is known to keep both the body and brain healthy, why does strenuous physical labor cause harm instead of offering benefits?

**Insights into the 'Physical Activity Paradox'**

A recent report published in *The Lancet Public Health* journal warns that consistently lifting heavy loads or performing highly strenuous physical work can increase the risk of dementia. Dementia is a condition where memory, cognitive function, and the ability to perform daily tasks gradually deteriorate.

In contrast, activities such as running, walking, swimming, and cycling have been shown to promote brain health and reduce the risk of dementia.

This is the first major study of its kind to examine whether the so-called "physical activity paradox"—associated with physical exertion—also impacts the risk of dementia. The ‘physical activity paradox’ refers to a situation where physical exertion associated with one's job appears detrimental to health in the long run, whereas physical activity undertaken during leisure time is beneficial. In other words, not all forms of physical exertion have the same impact on the body and mind.

What did the study reveal?

Scientists at the University of Southern California in the US conducted this study. They analyzed data from 74 separate studies, which collectively involved over 4.2 million people aged between 45 and 93, who were monitored for approximately 10 years.

The researchers sought to determine how many of these individuals developed Alzheimer's disease or dementia. They also assessed the risk of vascular dementia among the participants. This type of dementia is caused by reduced blood flow to the brain or issues related to the brain's blood vessels.

The study found that individuals who engaged in physical activities during their leisure time had a 24 percent lower risk of dementia. However, the picture was different when physical exertion was part of one's job.

People whose jobs involved significant physical activity—such as construction work or tasks requiring the lifting of heavy loads—were found to have a 20 percent higher risk of dementia.

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