Walk to Keep Your Brain Healthy

Mental Health

The Radiological Society of North America has reported another study to add to the increasing body of evidence that physical activity has cognitive benefits.  In an ongoing 20 year study, researchers analyzed the relationship between physical activity and brain structure in 426 people, including 299 healthy adults (mean age 78) and 127 cognitively impaired adults (mean age 81), including 83 adults with mild cognitive impairment (greater than average for age-related memory loss) and 44 with Alzheimer's dementia.  They measured brain volume and administered the mini-mental state exam over the period of the study.

Physical Activity Benefits

The findings showed cognitively impaired people needed to walk five miles per week to maintain brain volume and slow cognitive decline and healthy adults needed to walk six miles per week to maintain brain volume and reduce their risk.  In addition, MMSE scores declined significantly in those who did not walk compared to those who did.

Healthy adults can help maintain their memory and slow cognitive decline, and those with memory loss can also maintain themselves, by participating in physical activity, such as walking.

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics (661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com 5060 Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309

Tai Chi for Better Health

Tai Chi is a mind-body practice which originated in ancient China that began as a martial art and, as it developed, took on the purpose of enhancing physical and mental health.  It involves slow, gentle movements, deep breathing, and meditation, sometimes called "moving meditation," and is ideal for seniors.

Physical Health

It is a type of low-impact, weight-bearing, and aerobic--yet relaxing--exercise.  Some people believe it improves the flow of energy through the body, leading to better wellness and a wide range of potential benefits:  Improved strength, conditioning, coordination, flexibility and balance.  The Oregon Research Institute found that, after six months, tai chi participants were twice as likely to have no trouble performing moderate to rigorous activities as nonparticipants.  The benefit was greatest among those who started with the poorest health or worst function.  

Mental Health 

Two studies by the National Institute on Aging (NIA) found it to cut the fear of falling and the risk of falls among older people.  Reduced pain and stiffness caused by osteoarthritis:  Patients with osteoarthritis assigned to a tai chi group during a three month study reported less joint pain and stiffness than when they started and than the control group.  Enhanced sleep:  the Oregon researchers found participants had improved sleep quality and length, and fewer sleep disturbances than those in a low-impact exercise group.  A UCLA study found benefits similar to those gained through drugs or cognitive behavioral therapy--two thirds of those practicing tai chi had major improvements in sleep quality, compared with one third of those involved in health education sessions.  The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) and the NIA supported a study in which researchers found that tai chi prompted an immune response to shingles similar to the varicella vaccine, and,  when combined with the vaccine, tai chi helped create even greater levels of immunity--double those of the control group.  

Source:  webmd

Robert G. Tupac, DDS, FACP, Inc., Diplomate, American Board of Prosthodontics (661) 325-1275 | www.drtupac.com 5060 California Ave., #170, Bakersfield, CA 93309