Fitness

As we age, our mental abilities can begin to decline. Promising research shows that you can reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s and other dementias through a combination of healthy habits, including eating right, exercising, staying mentally and socially active and keeping stress in check.

LIFESTYLE CHOICES ARE THE KEY

Researchers are racing towards a cure for Alzheimer’s. But as prevalence rates climb, their focus has broadened from treatment to prevention strategies.

Fears about Alzheimer’s may discourage you from taking action. By identify- ing and controlling your personal risk factors, you can maximize your chances of lifelong brain health and take effective steps to preserve your cognitive abilities.

Alzheimer’s is a complex disease with multiple risk factors. Some, like age and genetics, are outside your control. However, many others are within your sphere of influence. These factors can be quite powerful when it comes to your brain health.

The six pillars of a brain-healthy, Alzheimer’s prevention lifestyle are: regular exercise, healthy diet, mental stimulation, quality sleep, stress management and an active social life.

The more you strengthen each of these pillars, the healthier and hardier your brain will be. When you lead a brain-healthy lifestyle, your brain will stay working stronger, longer.

GET REGULAR EXERCISE – AND STICK TO IT

To maximize the brain-protecting benefits of your workout, aim for at least 20 minutes of moderate intensity exercise daily. The ideal plan involves a combination of cardio exercise and strength training, but anything that raises your heart rate is a good place to start. Beginners can start with walking and swimming. Routine activities such as cleaning and gardening can count as exercise as long as they get you up and moving.

Build muscle to pump up your brain. Moderate levels of weight and resistance training not only increase muscle mass, they also help maintain brain health.

Fitness trends come and go, but weight training in particular never seems to come into style. Most people tend to reach the apex of their physical strength during their 20s and 30s, and it gradually declines from there. Once our strength starts to go, so do other things.

Muscular weakness is indelibly tied to not just our quality of life, but also to our life expectancy.

Two recent studies published in The British Medical Journal revealed that muscular strength is a remarkably strong predictor of mortality — even after adjusting for cardio-respiratory fitness and other health factors.

This conclusion was reached after an analysis of more than 30 studies that recorded physical attributes like bench press strength, grip strength, walking speed, chair rising speed and standing balance. What the researchers found was that poor performance on any of  the tests was associated with higher all-cause mortality — anywhere from a 1.67 to a threefold increase in the likelihood of earlier mortality.

Now, here’s the good news — despite the inexorable effects of aging, physical strength is an attribute we can control. As the science is increasingly showing, resistance training can add years to your life — and the earlier you get to it, the better.

HIT THE WEIGHTS, EVERYONE

As these studies indicate, not all exercise is equal. Resistance training (like lifting weights) in conjunction with high-intensity workouts (like aerobics and running) are key. It’s never too late to start. And, yes, women, that means you, too. “Bulking up” is a myth. It’s arguably more important for women than men to lift weights because of a greater propensity for osteoporosis.

Studies show that older individuals can still experience the benefits of gene shifting even if they’ve never lifted weights. It also results in an  increased production of growth hormones and testosterone and lower levels of cholesterol.

More than 52 million women and men have either osteoporosis or low bone mass. If current trends continue, the figure will climb to more than 61 million by 2020. It’s a widespread condition in which the bone loses its density, putting you at risk of fractures.

Wrist, hip and spine are the most common fracture points. The worst aspect of osteoporosis is that there is no warning. The first sign of the condition is often a broken bone after a minor fall.

HEALTH BENEFITS TO EXERCISE

Many people promote ‘weight-bearing’ activities as a way to halt

and reverse bone loss. Unfortunately, general activity will do very little to reverse bone loss. We do, however, know that human bone will adapt to a stimulus provided from progressively loaded strength training exercise. This exercise starts at the muscles and goes down to the bones; it affects all of the connective tissue in between, making for a more resilient drive train.

The health benefits of high-intensity strength training are far-reaching and impressive. There is evidence to suggest that high-intensity strength  training can increase our bone mass and bone strength and help prevent loss of bone mineral density as we age. This is exciting news, especially as significant improvements in bone health can be achieved from just two, 20-minute sessions of high-intensity strength training weekly.

BUILDING BONE STRENGTH

Walking, dancing, tennis, and yoga, however, have all been shown to benefit your bones. One exercise you can do at home to activate your muscles and help bone strength is a walking lunge. Here’s how to do it:

Begin by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands on your hips.

Step forward with one leg, flexing the knees to drop your hips. Descend until your rear knee nearly touches the ground. Your posture should remain upright, and your front knee should stay above the front foot.