Can staying active prevent Alzheimer’s disease?

Exercise if often viewed as a benefit for multiple reasons, the biggest reason being that it can help individuals avoid medical problems such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and even depression. However, research has shown that being physically active can also be used as a tool in Alzheimer’s health.

There is a lot of science that surrounds the brain—it’s a complex topic! Most Alzheimer’s health research remains unclear, but there have been links between cognitive health and an individual’s overall health and wellness. It’s been shown that regular, physical exercise can reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s. Harvard Medical School shared that it is essential to develop a healthy lifestyle in order to delay or prevent Alzheimer’s disease.

Harvard Medical is not the only group of researchers that believe that a healthy lifestyle can assist with Alzheimer’s health, the Alzheimer’s Research Foundation also shared that their research showing that practicing a healthy lifestyle helps aid with Alzheimer’s health as well as can help prevent the onset of the disease. What this means is that indulging in in healthy foods, getting restful sleep, staying active, and keeping the mind stimulated can all be tools to use against Alzheimer’s onset.

Exercise and Alzheimer’s Health

How much exercise is needed for helping with Alzheimer’s health and how often should I do it? The best person to answer this question is your primary care provider; however, here are a few basic guidelines that seniors have found helpful:

• Cardio and Strength Training: combining both aerobic and strength training can help protect the brain as well as reduce the risk of falling, while also increasing your flexibility and endurance. 
• Setting an Active Time Goal: Each week set out to engage in physical fitness for a minimum amount of time—typically you should aim for 150 minutes a week. You can break those minutes down however you’d like. You could be active for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. It’s smart to choose activities like cycling, marching in place, yoga, or going on walks.
• Monitor Your Progress: Keep a journal to document your physical daily activity. Doing this can be great for tracking what activities you liked or didn’t like, or if you are hurting the next day, you can compare the pain to any exercise you previously did.  

Indoor Fitness Activities That Are Senior Friendly

It is difficult for seniors to get out and be active due to many reasons, such as COVID-19 and winter weather. Thankfully, there is a plethora of resources that seniors can use in the home to reach their fitness goals. At home workout can be beneficial for Alzheimer’s health.

Here are a few at home exercise ideas for this winter, or if you are at home due to COVID-19:

• Virtual Yoga: This popular exercise is great for working on your strength, flexibility, endurance, and balance. Yoga can also be beneficial for stress and depression. For those who are comfortable with using YouTube, Yoga with Adrienne is a great yoga instructor to watch. She has free videos with a variety of yoga topics, ranging from yoga at your desk to Chair Yoga for Seniors.
• Walking: Taking a daily brisk walk around the neighborhood has shown to contribute to a healthier mental and physical state. Walking around the neighborhood also provides time for an individual to soak up fresh air and vitamin d. You should discuss the amount of time you spend walking and what your ultimate walking goal should be with your primary care provider. The Health in Aging Foundation has a tip sheet for seniors who are starting a walking program. 
• Strength and Resistance Training: While we have discussed the importance of staying active to prevent the risk of falls and to protect brain health, we also should add that strength training helps prevent bone loss. Silver Sneakers shared this training guide to provide seniors a list of at home exercises that can be completed with a band or body weight as resistance.

For those that are seeking more ideas for staying fit at home, visit Safe Winter Fitness Ideas for Older Adults. 

If you have questions about how Visiting Angels of East Central Indiana is encouraging a healthy lifestyle with Alzheimer’s health, give us a call at 765-703-4194.