I do not like to exercise.
I never have, but I have always done some form of exercise regularly. More often than not, I have had a walking
routine, and periodically bike riding and various forms of at-home exercises. I
was thinking about this as I was taking my morning walk.
I exercise, because I want to live a really long time. It’s that simple. Exercise is good for us, and I always feel
better after exercising and sluggish if I do not.
We have always known that exercise can keep us fit and
healthy and extend our lives. Over the
past couple of years, however, studies have been conducted on how exercise affects
our brain. The results, among other
things, shows that exercise improves memory and increases the size of the
hippocampus. At around the age of 55,
the hippocampus begins to atrophy. It is
one of the first areas affected by Alzheimer’s.
One of the studies used both men and women with an average
age of 60. The study revealed that the brains of those
who did regular aerobic exercise had a hippocampal volume of 2%. Those who did not exercise actually had a
decline of 1.4% hippocampal volume.
Those who exercised also had increased spatial memory.
The studies also showed that during exercise, the brain has
to work hard to keep muscles moving and to keep all our bodily systems in sync
with one another.
This is a bit more scientific than I understand fully, but
it is clear that there are both physical and mental changes occur in our brain
when we exercise. That’s enough for me.
The good news is that we don’t have to spend hours in a gym
or jogging. If we walk briskly for 30
minutes most days of the week, it is sufficient to gain the benefits of
exercise.
With few exceptions, everyone can either walk or move in
some way for 30 minutes several times a week.
If you don’t do it for yourself, do it for those who love you who might
one day have to care for you if Alzheimer’s strikes. If the
knowledge that exercise was good for your body – to maintain a healthy weight,
prevent diabetes, etc. – was not enough to get you off the sofa, perhaps
knowing that your brain is actually affected might.
Is everybody ready now?
Let’s get moving!
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