OH! Magazine - Australian Version December 2015 | Page 10

MICHELLE
BRIDGES

ALZHEIMER’S, DEMENTIA

www.michellebridges.com.au

( Fitness & Motivation )

& EXERCISE

Michelle Bridges discusses the importance of
exercise for sufferers of Alzheimer’s and dementia.
ike a lot of us, I had a special
relationship with my nan. She was
one of those stoic Australian women who
got through wars and hardships by just,
well, by just being nan. Tough,
compassionate, consistent and smart –
not academic, but street smart and
brimming with common sense.

L

She passed away when she was 83, but
right up to the last minute, even though
her body was breaking down, her mind
remained sharp – razor sharp. Far from
losing her marbles, she had buckets to
spare.
You wouldn’t want to get caught in a lie
with nan. Her memory was pachydermic
and she was almost vicious on the
Scrabble board, which made me realise
the value of mental health as we get older.
As an avid exerciser I figured I’d taken
steps to minimise the impact of physical
decrepitude by keeping mobile, but I’d
underestimated the huge investment I’d
been making in my mental health at the
same time.

What really took me by surprise though,
was the extent to which a brain healthy
training regime can contribute to mental
health as we grow older. I discovered that
we can all reduce the risk of developing
Alzheimer’s disease by an astonishing 50
per cent, as a result of incorporating
exercise into our lifestyles. Yes – FIFTY
PER CENT. I was gobsmacked.
Here’s the formula. Get yourself 30
minutes of aerobic exercise five times a
week – walking, swimming, jogging,
whatever. It doesn’t matter if you weed
the garden or paint the laundry, just get
your heart rate up and keep it up for
around 45 minutes a day.
Next add two to three strength sessions a
week to your lifestyle – pumping iron, it
seems, is great for brain health, and even
if you’re over 65 years of age you can still
reduce your risk of dementia by HALF. A
mix of strength and cardio training is
more effective than just doing one type of
exercise.

Brain injuries significantly increase the
likelihood of developing dementia, so
reduce the risk of falls by including
balance and coordination exercises in
your routine. Looking after your head is
important, so we might take cage fighting
and roller derby off the suggested exercise
list!
Exercise has the added benefit of
reducing stress. Chronic or severe stress
can result in the shrinkage of the
hippocampus, the key memory area of
our brains, and hamper the development
of nerve cell growth increasing the risk of
Alzheimer’s and dementia.
So for your brain and overall health, lace
up those shoes and get moving.

Michelle’s Tip
Exercising isn’t the only way you can
reduce the risk of dementia. A healthy
whole food diet with little or no saturated
or trans fats, regular mental stimulation
(like Scrabble!), plenty of quality sleep and
low stress levels will also reduce risk.

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DECEMBER 2015 ( OH! MAGAZINE )