We’re not suggesting you throw away the crossword puzzles or Sudoku books but, if you really want to fend off Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia, fire up the old treadmill.
Mounting evidence shows that exercise of the physical variety does more to prevent white matter hyperintensities, small areas of brain damage linked to mobility problems, in older adults.
Not only does a daily walk or workout help your circulation and muscle tone, it keeps the brain in shape which, in turn, keeps the synapses firing and your body moving longer as you age. Amazing how that works, isn’t it?
“Virtually everything about Alzheimer’s and other dementia appears to be mitigated by physical exercise.” – Dr. Sam Gandy, Mount Sinai Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center
There are seven identified risk factors for Alzheimer’s disease: Obesity, depression, low educational attainment, hypertension, inactivity, diabetes and smoking. Exercise is proven to help alleviate five of those. How much more convincing do we need?
And the beautiful thing about retirement is, you actually have time to exercise:
Take an hour walk.
Spend the afternoon at the gym.
Go swimming.
Play a round of golf.
Take a yoga class.
Hike your local river trail.
And you’ll still have time to take a shower and grab a smoothie afterward!
At Fit-To-Retire HQ, we’re fond of the saying: “The greatest wealth is good health.” Or, to paraphrase Ben Franklin: “What makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise is a getting off the recliner once in a while.”
Be First to Comment