Exercise Decreases the Risk of Dementia…
How does exercise decrease the risk of Dementia? Exercise becomes increasingly important as we age to stay healthy & is specifically important to lower one’s risk for Alzheimer’s and Dementia.
N2Shape incorporates both the mind and body in all programs that we offer. Evaluating an exercise program always includes mind and body evaluations which we have included since we opened our doors in 1994. We play games while working out which means that we have to think, move and react, all at the same time!
What other risk factors increase a person’s chances of Dementia? There are different types of risk factors including medical, lifestyle, and environmental factors. It is possible to avoid some risk factors, while others cannot be controlled.
What can increase a person’s risk?
- There are different types of risk factors for Dementia, including medical, lifestyle, and environmental factors. It is possible to avoid some risk factors, while others cannot be controlled.
What do ‘risk’ and ‘risk factor’ mean?
- A person’s ‘risk’ of developing Dementia is the chance that they will get it at some point in their life. Everyone has a chance of developing Dementia, but some people have a greater chance than others. These people are at ‘higher risk’.
- A ‘risk factor’ is something that is known to increase a person’s chances of developing a condition. For example, aging is a risk factor for dementia. This means a person who is aged over 75 is more likely to develop dementia than someone who is under 75.
- Some risk factors for dementia cannot be reduced or avoided but many can, especially with the right help.
Do all types of Dementia have the same risk factors?
- The risk factors on this page are for Dementia caused by Alzheimer’s disease, and heart or vascular disease (vascular dementia), unless stated otherwise.
What are the risk factors?
There are several known risk factors for Dementia. Some factors only slightly increase a person’s risk while others make it much more likely that the person will develop the condition.
For most people, the biggest risk factors for dementia are aging and genes. A person’s risk of getting Dementia can also be increased by their:
- Gender and sex
- Ethnicity
- Amount of ‘cognitive reserve’ – the brain’s ability to cope with disease
- Other health conditions, if any
- Lifestyle – for example, smoking and excessive alcohol use
- Exposure to air pollution.
Here’s an example:
In Spinning, we play a game we call, “Ding, Ding, Ding.” The game requires each rider to count out loud together, to ride standing when it is their turn, and to shout out the name of the game when they have completed their fifth round. It’s not easy as it involves being attentive & focused (taxing on the brain) while balancing and working the body.
It’s not easy but it is also fun. Toughing it out as a team leaves us with a sense of accomplishment and warm feelings. This translates into getting up at 7 a.m. for spin class!
Besides exercise, we can engage our brains by learning a new language and using other ways to work our brains as we age. We have included a chart below.
It is an easy-to-read chart of “cognitive exercises” to improve and maintain cognition as we age.
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