Exercise is Not a four letter word!
Research shows that the benefits of exercise go beyond just physical well-being. Exercise can help increase your energy, improve sleep, and reduce feelings of stress.
It is also beneficial in keeping our brains working at their best! The best news is that you can start Now, right where you are! All it takes is you making the first step…..or move…..or just getting up off the couch once an hour and walking around the room!
With so many choices of exercise available today what could be the reason we aren’t taking action other than our own lack of curiosity and our lack of personal investment in our health?
Often, inactivity is more to blame than age when older people lose the ability to do things on their own. Lack of physical activity also can lead to more visits to the doctor, more hospitalizations, and more use of medicines for a variety of illnesses.
Research is showing that lack of exercise could contribute to brain change as we age.
Brain health can be affected by age-related changes in the brain, injuries such as stroke or traumatic brain injury, mood disorders such as depression, substance use disorder or addiction, and diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease. While some factors affecting brain health cannot be changed, there are many lifestyle changes that might make a difference.
What Is Brain Health?
Brain health refers to how well a person’s brain functions across several areas. Aspects of brain health include:
Motor function — how well you make and control movements, including balance
Emotional function — how well you interpret and respond to emotions (both pleasant and unpleasant)
Tactile function — how well you feel and respond to sensations of touch — including pressure, pain and temperature
Some of the research on engagement in activities such as music, theater, dance, and creative writing has shown promise for improving quality of life and well-being in older adults, from better memory and self-esteem to reduced stress and increased social interaction.
“Researchers are highly interested in examining if and how participating in arts activities may be linked to improving cognitive function and memory and improving self-esteem and well being. Scientists are also interested in studying how music can be used to reduce behavioral symptoms of dementia, such a stress, aggression, agitation, and apathy, as well as promoting social interaction, which has multiple psychosocial benefits”, said Lisa Onken, Ph. D. of NIA’s Division of Behavioral and Social Research.
As reported on NIA.NIH.gov.
