The importance of physical activity in the prevention and management of Alzheimers and other forms of dementia

Dear Friend,

today’s “Health Tip” will try to offer you some helpful insights into the many benefits of exercising and physical fitness training as it pertains to the prevention and management of Alzheimers and Dementia. Back In Form is offering a group of Fitness Trainers and Therapists that have become experts in working with this population and address their physical fitness needs.

• What is Demtia and Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common form of dementia and is considered a degenerative neurological illness, which also include other diseases such as Parkinson’s, Huntington’s and some forms of Multiple Sclerosis, which all worsen over time.

Other forms of dementia are caused by vascular problems in the brain affecting  blood circulation i.e. traumatic brain injuries, or infections of the Central Nervous System (Meningitis, HIV, Kreutzfeld-Jacob Disease), or long term alcohol or drug abuse and certain types of hydrocephalus.

Dementia can furthermore be divided by locality, into cortical (affecting cerebral cortex) and subcortical (affecting are beneath cerebral cortex) types of dementia. Cortical dementias affect memory and language, people often suffer from severe memoryloss (Alzheimer’s and Kreutzfeld-Jacob), while those with subcortical dementia find their thinking and the initiation of activity slowed (Parkinson, Huntington, HIV).

• Prevention and treatment of Dementia through physical activity and exercise

Besides the many well known benefits of exercise that include it’s positive impact on cardio-vascular health, blood pressure, metabolic health issues such as diabetes, hyper-lipidemia and prevention of certain types of cancer there is a growing number of studies that provide convincing evidence that long term regular exercise can help prevent, as well as help manage the progression of the dementia after onset. There seem to be two major positive effects of regular exercise on brain aging and the development of dementia; one directly affecting the regeneration of neurons and neuron connections often referred to as brain neuroplasticity, the other by reducing the artherosclerotic cerebrovascular disease risks and improving  blood circulation in the brain. (Artherosclerosis refers to a hardening of arteries due to fatty plaque buildup on the arterie walls that can lead in the brain to circulatory problems and ultimately a cerebral stroke)

The vast majority of studies, especially with animals, have been about cardio-vascular exercises, but there are a few studies supporting that strength and resistance training promotes similar benefits.

“Thus, ongoing, moderate-intensity physical exercise should be considered as a prescription for lowering cognitive risks and slowing cognitive decline across the age spectrum.” (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3258000/)

As physical abilities change during the progression of dementia and coordination, balance, mobility and strength change the training of the patient has to be adjusted accordingly.