Protect Against Dementia Now With Exercise

By Stepy Kamei

You no doubt know just how important exercise is when it comes to your overall health and wellness. Study after study has shown that people who remain active on a regular basis tend to experience a wide range of benefits to their well-being. These benefits include better sleep, lower risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease, and reduced anxiety and depression. However, recent studies are beginning to advocate for exercise for one more beneficial reason: it can severely cut down on a person's risk of developing dementia. These same studies are also showing that the earlier you make exercise a regular habit in your daily routine, the better your chances are at preventing this health condition from ever occurring in the first place.

The Dangers of Dementia

Dementia is a terrible health condition that no one would ever want to get diagnosed with. Contrary to popular belief, it is not a disease, but rather a set of symptoms that happen when the neurons of the brain stop working, are unable to connect with other brain cells, and end up dying. Over time, this process can have a severe impact on a person's quality of life. Generally speaking, as dementia progresses, various functions become impaired, including memory, focus, language skills, visual perception, and problem solving skills.

In the later stages, dementia can cause delusions, emotional outbursts, or even personality changes in the affected person.

Exercise to Guard Against Dementia

While there is currently no magic pill to prevent dementia entirely, living a healthy and active lifestyle from youth is one of the best ways you can guard your brain against the development of dementia as you get older. Studies are showing that people who live active, non-sedentary lifestyles are much more likely to not exhibit any symptoms of dementia later on in life. In contrast, people who did live largely sedentary lifestyles often went on to develop at least a few symptoms of dementia. Essentially, it turns out that physical activity protects the functions of the brain.

When it comes down to it, these recent studies are just the latest in a long line that heavily encourage you to stay active and physically fit as much as you can. Getting to a gym three days a week is an ideal way to go about this, but even just squeezing in a walk outside during your lunch break can keep you from staying sedentary.

To learn more about your health, wellness and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Durham, S.C.