Reposted with permission from PHIT America
“There is no pill for improving quality of life as we age. But there is exercise”
SILVER SPRING, MD – April 26, 2016 – The results of a recent study reveal that moderate to heavy exercise is great for both your heart and your head. This is especially true for seniors. A recent CBS News story indicates that moderate to heavy exercise helps keep you healthy and it reduces the aging of the brain, possibly by as much as ten years.
“We found that people who exercise moderately or heavily had a reduced risk of memory loss and what we call executive function, equivalent to about 10 years,” reveals study co-author Dr. Mitchell Elkind, Professor of Neurology and Epidemiology, New York Presbyterian/Columbia University (New York, NY), in his interview with CBS News.
Elkind says that activities like doing calisthenics, playing handball and/or playing tennis are great athletic outlets for seniors. One of Elkind’s colleagues in the study, Dr. Clinton B. Wright, University of Miami (Coral Gables, FL), had similar feelings about the power of perspiration.CBS TV Image
Watch the video at PHIT America
“Physical activity is an attractive option to reduce the burden of cognitive impairment in public health because it is low cost and doesn’t interfere with medications,” said Wright in his CBS News interview. “Our results suggest that moderate to intense exercise may help older people delay aging of the brain.”
Wright is convinced that there is a strong correlation between regular exercise and keeping the brain sharp.
“Our study showed that for older people, getting regular exercise may be protective, helping them keep their cognitive abilities longer,” added Wright in his CBS interview.
Read the full article at PHIT America »
