By David Blyweiss, M.D.
Mark’s been coming to see me for years and has always gotten a clean bill of health. But during his last appointment, he looked worried. “Dr. B, it’s seems like I’m getting more and more forgetful these days. Sometimes, I think I’m really losing it!”
I hear that a lot as my patients start getting older.
For most, it’s really nothing to worry about. After all, we all get a bit forgetful as the years roll by. But my patients worry anyway. In fact, some of my patients are so concerned that they ask me if there’s something they can take to help them stay sharp.
Of course, there are the old standbys like ginkgo biloba, resveratrol, fish oils and phosphatidyl choline.1 And, paired up with a healthy diet filled with antioxidants, they really do help.2
But there’s an easier, more effective way to protect your brain from the risks of stroke and dementia. And it won’t cost you a thing except perhaps a new pair of sneakers.
A new study in the journal Neurology backs up what I’ve been saying for years: If you want your brain to keep working, you’ve got to move your body!
This new study of more than 1,200 people at Columbia and the University of Miami shows seniors who regularly exercise at moderate to intense levels are 40% less likely to develop the brain damage linked to strokes, certain kinds of dementia and any other brain damage that’s caused by blocked arteries.3
And, while I often tell my patients that any exercise is better than none at all, this is one instance where a walk around the block, an evening of bowling or a day on the links simply won’t cut it. It’s not good enough to just get in a light workout every now and again. If you really want to protect your brain, you need to pick up the pace a bit.
Getting at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise five days a week improves a number of conditions that can damage the brain. Some specially linked to stroke include high blood pressure, obesity, unhealthy cholesterol levels, diabetes, atherosclerosis and heart disease.
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Getting in a good work out reduces inflammation, stabilizes the plaque inside your arteries, improves circulation and prevents blood clotting.
So what are your options?
Hiking, biking, tennis, swimming, jogging, racquetball all qualify. If you belong to a gym or have a community center nearby, check to see if they offer aerobics classes like step aerobics, Zumba or kickboxing….well, maybe not kickboxing. And, unless you have physical limitations preventing you from being active, there are no excuses.
One word of warning though. If you haven’t been particularly active in the past, don’t jump right in. Injuries happen when you try to do too much too soon. Take it slow and gradually work up to a moderate or high intensity.
As an added bonus, you’ll find you get stronger and have better balance. And that means you’ll be less likely to fall as you age and won’t become as frail like many patients I see who are in their 70s and 80s.
You don’t need to wait for your 40th, 50th or 60th birthday to join in the movement. Look at it this way.
The half hour you spend on yourself, moving, makes the other 23½ hours better. You’ll think, feel and look better. You have more of those days to enjoy life, love, travel and… grandchildren.
So please, with my best regards, take a hike.
References:
- Howes MJ. The role of phytochemicals in the treatment and prevention of dementia. Drugs & Aging. 2011;28:439-468.
- Smith PJ. Diet and neurocognition: review of evidence and methodological considerations. Current Aging Science. 2010;3:57-66.
- Willey JZ. Lower prevalence of silent brain infarcts in the physically active: The Northern Manhattan Study. Neurology. 2011; 76:2112-2118
