Baby Boomer and Senior Citizen News About The Importance of Exercise to Stave Off Dementia Symptoms

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The importance of exercise is not necessarily NEW baby boomer and senior citizen news but it's currently BACK in the news in a big way and it's important information for all of us involved in caring for the elderly parents in our families to be aware of. Both for them AND for ourselves. It's vital that exercise play an important part in our lives. Whether you take long fast walks to destress from the Sandwich Generation issues, play tag outside with the grandchildren, pedal merrily away on a mini exercise bike, or enjoy great Wii games for kids and seniors, it's essential to get active and stay active. 

For one thing, it gives us extra energy to keep up with the grandchildren, not to mention the sweet seniors in our lives. But it turns out it can also help us stave off or completely avoid Alzheimer's Disease and the dementia symptoms that go with it. Which is another reason why it's good to encourage our senior parents to do the same!

As Alzheimer's News points out, "As part of normal aging, the hippocampus shrinks. And this shrinkage speeds up as we grow older, foreshadowing memory problems and dementias like Alzheimer's disease…" Turns out, though, that the hippocampus is also one of the body parts that God allows to form new cells and connections in our brains! Alzheimer's News goes on to encourage us with the fact that exercise "seems to have the most efficacy at this point – more so than nutritional supplements, vitamins and cognitive interventions."  In other words, the more we exercise, the healthier our BRAIN as well as our body usually stays. 

AARP agrees, writing that, "Dodging dementia may be as simple as slipping on a pair of walking shoes and heading out the door. A study from the University of Pittsburgh found that walking about six miles a week seems to protect against brain shrinkage, which in turn may slow the progress of cognitive decline." 

Now isn't that GREAT NEWS for all of us boomers and seniors! And perfect timing to hear that as I'm busy working on the Flat Belly – MUFA foods – diet and exercising. Soooo….

Can you tell I'm having as much fun with the easy to use iPhone digital VIDEO camera on my AT&T iPhone as I usually have with its digital camera. 🙂 And now, it's time for this Sandwich Generation granny nanny to go do some walking with my senior mom. How about you? We'd love to hear what you are doing to stay active and exercise your body AND your mind. 🙂