While there has been many strides made in the battle against Alzheimer’s Disease, there is still a long way to go in preventing or curing this debilitating disease. Most Alzheimer’s symptoms become so severe that full time care is required for the patients. The statistics for this disease are also somewhat staggering. Nearly 4.5 million people in the United States already suffer from Alzheimer’s.
This is expected to reach 16 million by the year 2050 as the baby boomers start to age. The older you get, the higher the chance you will contract Alzheimer’s. It affects 10 percent of the population aged 65 and older while 50 percent over the age of 85 are affected.
In recent studies, some encouraging results have been found with regard to exercise and Alzheimer’s. These results showed that middle aged men and women who lead sedentary life styles have a much higher risk of developing this disease than men and women of the same age group who lead a relatively active lifestyle. A Finnish study of 1,500 elderly people showed that those who were obese during their middle ages were 2 times as likely to develop Alzheimer’s when they aged as those who were a normal weight.
Dr. Joseph T. Coyle, Harvard Medical School professor of neuroscience and psychiatry, says that both mental and physical stimulation on a regular basis can prevent the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. He suggests doing some walking and crossword puzzles, or some other hobby that mentally stimulates you. Combining both of these together will keep both your mind and body in good health, thus keeping people from falling victim to the dreaded Alzheimer’s.
While the amount of exercise that is required is not quite as much as you might think, it does need to be more than just walking around your house. Anything that is done on regular basis and causes some sweating will suffice. You may consider starting slow and working up to the peak of what your body can withstand. It is not necessary to rush out and join a health club or a gym. This can be accomplished through the use of exercise DVDs right in your home.
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