Spring Arbor Living Blog

As we age and our memory starts to fade, we all worry about our mental health and the potential for cognitive decline. But maintaining our mental health may not be any harder than going for a walk. A new, nine year study found that walking can keep dementia at bay. So put on your sneakers and go for a walk. Walking six miles a week protects the brain from shrinkage, which may slow the progress of cognitive decline.

Brain size shrinks late in adulthood which often is the start of dementia. Other studies suggest that physical activity protects against the deterioration of brain tissue, but no long-term studies have tested that theory. A study from the University of Pittsburgh wanted to do just that.

They asked 299 healthy, dementia-free men and women, average age 78, to keep track of the number of blocks they walked in a week.

After nine years, the researchers measured the brain size of the participants using high-resolution brain scans. The men and women who walked more had more gray matter. Those who walked approximately six to nine miles a week fared best, even after taking into account variables such as age, sex, body mass index and education. Walking more than 6-9 miles in a week didn't provide extra benefits.

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Fitness and cardio exercises make a wonderful way for elderly people to avoid many age related problems. However, most of the seniors think that resistance training and fitness exercises are just for younger people. This belief is just a myth and a recent research has revealed that resistance training and fitness exercises can greatly benefit elderly people even older than 60.

Weight training and cardiovascular exercises not only help elderly to be healthy physically but psychologically as well. These exercises help them to tone their bodies and strengthen their muscles. Moreover, fitness exercises help elderly people reduce stress and depression. When people go to the gym, they find a friendly and pleasant atmosphere over there, which helps to heighten their moods. People at the gym enjoy a healthy social life because they interact with their trainer and gym colleagues.

A recent study done at the University Of Texas suggests that fitness and resistance training exercises can be very helpful in slowing down the aging process. Nearly all of the weight training and cardiovascular exercises enhance the intake of oxygen into your body. This, in turn, allows your cells to absorb more oxygen and stay healthy. Moreover, cardiovascular exercises such as swimming, jogging, hiking, and walking keep your blood vessels and heart healthy, thus reducing the chances of sudden heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.

Weight training makes a great activity for elderly people because these exercises help them keep their blood pressure and blood sugar at appropriate levels. Diabetes Mellitus is a common problem among people who are over 50 years old. Resistance training exercises help elderly to burn their calories and utilize energy from their own bodies. Therefore, they can avoid potential threats of high blood pressure and diabetes by performing resistance training exercises. Exercise is very important for all types of people. And one of our amenities is actually a fitness center at our communities.  Be sure to check it out soon!

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