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<\/p>\nI became interested in cardio exercise routines and memory several years ago when my older students began to tell me that their memories seemed to improve after they took my class. I was teaching mostly cardio exercise routines in those days. I started with simple steps and built up to a pretty complex routine. There has to be a connection I thought, between the physical\u00a0movement, making your brain learn this routine, and improved memory.<\/p>\n
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What I was having people do is learn short phrases of movement and then link them together. The cardio exercise routine required them to move forward and back, side to side, remember specific steps, and stay in rhythm. This was a real challenge for many of my students who had never done anything like this before. As they got more proficient, the class became a social gathering because of this shared experience. My students felt energized afterwards, not exhausted. They told me that besides getting a good body workout they were getting a memory workout as well. They said they could actually remember things better.<\/p>\n
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I contacted a couple of local Alzheimer\u2019s specialists (there was no internet back then) and they told me I was probably right, but there weren\u2019t any specific studies on this more than 20 years ago. Even now the research is not conclusive. But, technology in the last 15 years has allowed science to discover a lot more about the brain.<\/p>\n
Vascular memory loss has been linked to heart disease, and cardio fitness is a major factor in preventing and managing that issue. Aerobic exercise increases the amount of oxygen supplied to the brain improving mental function. Cardio fitness has been shown to reduce loss of brain cells in older adults.<\/p>\n
A study<\/a> of 1,449 older adults\u00a0shows those who in middle age exercised vigorously enough to perspire and breathe hard for 20 to 30 minutes at least twice a week reduced their risk of later developing Alzheimer\u2019s disease by about 60 percent.<\/p>\n Research published<\/a> in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that certain types of dance, particularly with routines to learn and remember, may help prevent age-onset memory loss and diseases like Alzheimer\u2019s.\u00a0 And\u00a0a study<\/a> conducted at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, says activities that combined mental and social as well as physical stimulation offered the greatest protection against dementia.<\/p>\n Activity is the active word. Be physically active, mentally active and socially active, preferably all at once.<\/strong> In these times of Gym Closures and Social Distancing, it can be pretty tough to get and stay fit.\u00a0 It can be especially hard if you are a beginner, 50 plus or have special health conditions but there are many virtual options now t help you get fit and be safe.\u00a0 It\u2019s time to work out our hearts and minds!<\/p>\nBut cardio is just part of the equation.<\/strong><\/h4>\n
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