Benefits of Regular Exercise for Alzheimer’s and Dementia

For a healthier life, doctors have always suggested a “balanced diet and exercise.”  Nutritious meals and a regular exercise routine not only benefit your waistline, they have also been connected to Alzheimer’s and dementia improvements.

In a recent study at the Wake Forest School of Medicine, researchers found that “[v]igorous exercise not only makes Alzheimer’s patients feel better, but it makes changes in the brain that could indicate improvements… Regular aerobic exercise could be a fountain of youth for the brain,” said Laura Baker, who led the study.

 

The importance of exercise to Alzheimer’s and dementia is the amount of blood flow to the brain. In the study, those who exercised experienced a better flow of blood to the memory and processing centers of the brain also experienced a measurable improvement in attention, planning and organizing abilities. “These findings are important because they strongly suggest a potent lifestyle intervention such as aerobic exercise can impact Alzheimer’s-related changes in the brain,” Baker said in a statement. “No currently approved medication can rival these effects.”

Starting an exercise routine does not have to mean spending hours in the gym; slow and simple changes can lead you to a healthier life. According to the Mayo Clinic, exercising several times a week for 30 to 60 minutes may:

• Keep thinking, reasoning and learning skills sharp for healthy individuals
• Improve memory, reasoning, judgment and thinking skills (cognitive function) for people with mild Alzheimer’s disease or mild cognitive impairment
• Delay the start of Alzheimer’s for people at risk of developing the disease or slow the progress of the disease

In conjunction with an exercise routine, track the progression of your memory and retention with MemTrax. With a MemTrax Memory Test, you will be able to monitor your mental health through a month or year and be able to spot any changes immediately, which is critical for early detection; improve your health through physical and mental fitness.

About MemTrax

MemTrax is a screening test for the detection of learning and short-term memory issues, particularly the type of memory problems that arise with aging, Mild Cognitive Impairment (MCI), dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. MemTrax was founded by Dr. Wes Ashford, who has been developing the memory testing science behind MemTrax since 1985. Dr. Ashford graduated from the University of California, Berkeley in 1970. At UCLA (1970 – 1985), he attained an M.D. (1974) and Ph.D. (1984). He trained in psychiatry (1975 – 1979) and was a founding member of the Neurobehavior Clinic and the first Chief Resident and Associate Director (1979 – 1980) on the Geriatric Psychiatry in-patient unit. The MemTrax test is quick, easy and can be administered on the MemTrax website in less than three minutes. www.memtrax.com