In view of the huge challenge of dementia to people and the public health systems, it is primordial to test potential remedies with high precision. So far general measures of just any physical activity like walking were considered beneficial. Recent and more comprehensive data on domain-specific physical activities by Feter et al. (2026) emphasize the importance to differentiate between walking for leisure or walking rather stressed to work. The former contributes to a delay of the onset of dementia, whereas the latter bears higher risks of dementia due to the “negative” stress involved. However, as Kivimäki and Hamer (2026) point out dementia itself has a long gestation period in which persons might reduce physical activities because a “silent” onset of dementia is not yet diagnosed but inhibits already more activities. Commuting to work or leisure might already be a challenge in early dementia particularly if public transport has to be organized independently.
