Posts filed under 'Be Physically Active!'
Staying Active: At Age 77, Alzheimer’s Patient Plans To Explore Loch Ness… By Canoe!
I love people who refuse to give up on their brains. According to a story in Scotland’s Inverness Courier, Mr. John Forsyth, age 77, certainly seems to qualify as one of those fighting spirits.
You see, Mr. Forsyth has been diagnosed with the early stages of Alzheimer’s. And yet, this May, he plans to spend a little more than 3 days paddling his canoe around Scotland’s famous Loch Ness, about a 50 mile excursion. He’ll be sticking close to the shore, hoping to get close to the native wildlife, and camping at night.
According to the Courier Article, he’s well aware of the risks, and has said “My problems could be the weather, the wind or the sun. I could get heat or sun stroke and there is also my friend Nessie!” (more…)
3 comments April 27, 2010
Going Green as Brain Exercise?
This week marks the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, a worldwide effort to raise environmental awareness. Everyone is encouraged to participate by making changes to their lifestyle, changes like recycling household trash, saving energy and water, changing habits that can negatively impact the natural world around us.
What’s this got to do with brain exercise? (more…)
Add comment April 23, 2010
Get Moving for Your Memory (even if you’re out of shape or physically limited)
If you’re looking for a quick brain boost, nothing compares to the benefits of physical activity. One study after another has confirmed that exercise improves, maintains and protects cognitive functions in a whole wealth of ways( and that’s in addition to all of the other healthy goodness that being active and fit brings)
But actually *being* active?
Sometimes that’s easier said than done, especially as we age. Injury, illness, and just general out-of-shapeness make the idea of going to the gym or jogging around the park out of the question.
So what can we do, when our bodies just can’t drop to the floor and give us 100 push-ups anymore?
Add comment March 25, 2010
Preventing Falls (For The Sake Of Your Brain)
For Many Seniors, taking a tumble is all too common an experience. And though bruises and broken bones are the biggest and most immediate concerns, falling can put your brain-health in jeopardy, too.
Head injury is the most obvious risk; concussions can have both short and long term affects on cognitive functions like memory and decision making. A knock on the noggin increases the likely hood of developing Alzheimer’s. And even minor brain injuries often affect balance, putting patients at risk of even more falls.
1 comment January 28, 2010
Experiencing A Mental Decline? Get Physical!
Physical Activity is widely recognized as a key to maintaining a healthy brain, and now a new study out of the University of Washington suggests that regular exercise may be an effective treatment for some cognitive declines. It’s a small study, but interesting… read on!
The 33 study participants were all patients from a memory disorders clinic. With an average age of 70, they were all experiencing mental declines. Researchers divided them into two groups — one group participated in high intensity aerobic activities for up to an hour each day, while the other group did low-impact stretching exercises, keeping their heart rates low.
Add comment January 14, 2010
Moderate Drinking: Maybe Not So Good For Your Brain, After All
File this one under the category of “Why some science research is marked as preliminary” — and also under “Why the media (including bloggers *cough cough*) shouldn’t jump on these sorts of results too enthusiastically.”
What the heck am I going on about?
Not so long ago, a widely reported study noted that people who were moderate drinkers (about 1-2 drinks per day) seemed to stay a wee bit sharper as they aged, had less memory loss, and lowered odds of dementia and Alzheimer’s.
And there was some underlying support for the idea, too – red wine, for instance, is known to contain high levels of a resveratrol (believed to be beneficial for the brain), and moderate drinking can help improve blood circulation to the brain, increase “good” cholesterol, and other things that might (note that I said might!) be good for the brain.
Both the researchers, the American Medical Association, and other assorted experts advised caution about the idea — some even pointed to other studies that said moderate drinking might actually shrink the brain. Even so, some people no doubt headed out to the bars, touting their boosted brain as the result of their drinking!
And a more recent look at the info suggests the situation is, indeed, a wee bit more complicated than that.
Add comment November 19, 2009
Exercise Those Motor Skills!
Motor skills. According to Wikipedia, they’re a learned series of movements combined into one smooth, efficient action. They include large or “gross” motor skills, like sitting up, walking or running… and smaller, “fine” motor skills like writing, fastening buttons, or putting on a pair of earrings.
We first develop them in infancy and as toddlers, then add to our repertoire as adults. And practicing motor skills has big benefits, at any age.. it can help maintain coordination, balance, and visual-spatial skills – and most importantly, it may help keep seniors more independent (just as learning these skills allows toddlers to become independent)
Motor skill exercises are just plain good brain exercise, too.
3 comments November 12, 2009
Expanding Waistlines, Shrinking Brains?
Last year, a study found that people who were overweight in midlife had a higher risk of developing dementia later in life. But a new study out of the University of California finds an even stronger connection between weight and brain health…
In this study, brain scans of people in their 70s were examined, and compared to their weight – and a pattern developed. The brains of the people who were overweight or obese appeared to be smaller, with much of the shrinkage in areas important for memory and planning. (more…)
Add comment August 25, 2009
Olympic-Level Senior Athletes: Sharper Bodies, Sharper Minds?
This August, nearly 13,000 athletes will gather for an Olympics style competition. They’ve trained hard, fought their way up through trials at the local, state and national level, competed in traditional events of the Olympics, including swimming, track & field, and equestrian events. There’s even a winter version of the games, with events including slalom and cross country skiing.
The difference between this, and other sports competitions? The ages of the athletes: every single one of them is over 50 years old. (more…)
Add comment May 14, 2009
… I Hope You Dance: The Benefits of Social Dance for Successful Seniors
“I hope you still feel small when you stand behind the ocean.
I hope whenever one door closes, another opens.
Promise me that you’ll give faith a fighting chance,
and when you get the choice to sit it out or dance…
I Hope You Dance.
Those lyrics from country music superstar Lee Ann Womack’s signature song might have been sung with her young daughters in mind, but in light of brain fitness theory, her advice might be just as appropriate for the girls’ grandparents and great grandparents!
Add comment May 5, 2009
