Hello Clients and Fans:

This week’s installment comes from a client who is concerned about their ailing parents.

Everyone knows that exercise, be it weight training or cardiovascular training, is good for healthy cholesterol, blood pressure, bones, muscles, heart, lungs and ect. But what about the brain?

A recent study led by Dr. Arthur F. Kramer, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign concluded that walking a few miles per week can stave off the progress of Alzheimer’s disease by building up the connectivity between brain circuits.

For one year, 70 previously sedentary adults ranging from age 60 to over 80 were divided into two groups. One performed brisk walking while the other did toning, stretching and strengthening exercises.

Those who did the aerobic exercise out-performed, both mentally and physically, the anaerobic group. As this group became more fit, their memory, attention and several other cognitive processes (including those responsible for performing complex tasks i.e. driving) improved so much that their brains actually mimicked those of people in their 20s and 30s.

But remember, this isn’t a quick fix. It took a full year of walking for the results to be seen. Participants were measured at the six-month mark and no significant improvements were yet seen.

So if your aging parent or friend is scheduled to renew their driver’s license, get them out walking a full year before they have to get behind the wheel!