Exercise slows down Alzheimers!

[summerdays]

From the BBC website:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7505091.stm

They suggest being fit definately slows the progress of the disease once you have it, and think that it reduces your risk of developing it.

As my Gran had it ... and caused all sorts of problems including reporting that the IRA had kidnapped one of her grandchildren to the RUC (with my cousin upstairs the same time!!!), making tea using sheep dip for milk etc, so more reason for me to keep cycling (as if I needed a reason).

 

[porridge]

My dad had this terrible illness, so definately an extra incentive for me

 

[Twenty Inch]

Your daily SuDoku, learning a new language, doing puzzles, all help.

The thinking is not so much that exercise and brain exercise delay the onset. It seems to be that the exercise makes the brain more resilient, so that it can bypass the damage done by the Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia.

 

[Gerry Attrick]

It's true, I forget things much more slowly since starting cycling again.

 

[Riding in Circles]

What is this thread about?

 

[summerdays]

What is this thread about?

If you can remember long enough to do it... get on your bike real quick and start pedaling like mad...

 

[Riding in Circles]

If you can remember long enough to do it... get on your bike real quick and start pedaling like mad...

What's a "bike"?

 

[andygates]

Great news. I have a similar condition marking my card, so I'll maybe give that Ironman tri a bit more thought...

 

[Twenty Inch]

Great news. I have a similar condition marking my card, so I'll maybe give that Ironman tri a bit more thought...

And start learning some poetry during those long runs.

For all those who are worried:

You can't stop the physical deterioration developing. However the brain is very good at finding new connections to route away from areas of damage. You need to keep your brain in practise of developing new connections, and that means learning new skills, languages, doing puzzles, learning to play a musical instrument, doing some am-dram and learning your lines. You need to constantly push your brain. Autopsies on professors and polymaths, and a long-range study of nuns, have shown that some of them have had huge damage to their brains, but when they were alive they showed few signs of mental deterioration. (If you're interested I can find references - I work in an ageing charity)

Exercise helps that by helping with blood flow and oxygenation, but won't do it on its own.


I'm 103, you know.

 

[Yellow Fang]

I went to a public lecture delivered by Prof Blakemore a couple of years ago. He said physical exercise appeared to be more beneficial than mental exercises. He showed some slides of middle-aged mice brains. Those that had an exercise wheel had more brain stem cells. He also said that exercise seems to be particularly beneficial once you get to 40 to 50.

 

[Twenty Inch]

I went to a public lecture delivered by Prof Blakemore a couple of years ago. He said physical exercise appeared to be more beneficial than mental exercises. He showed some slides of middle-aged mice brains. Those that had an exercise wheel had more brain stem cells. He also said that exercise seems to be particularly beneficial once you get to 40 to 50.

And did he compare with the control group of mice that didn't take any exercise, but did lots of puzzles, music and learning new languages?


Exercise is good for you, but it's only part of the picture. The nuns didn't jog.

 

[Yellow Fang]

And did he compare with the control group of mice that didn't take any exercise, but did lots of puzzles, music and learning new languages?


Exercise is good for you, but it's only part of the picture. The nuns didn't jog.

He did actually. Very interesting experiment that.