Can exercise prevent dementia-related deaths?

Elderly Exercise

Can exercise prevent dementia-related deaths?
by ElderCarelink





Seniors may want to embrace physical activity in order to maintain not only their physical health, but their mental health as well. Here's the reason--a new study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that those who achieved at least a medium state of fitness were less likely to die from a dementia-related death.

Elderly exercise does the body good

Although exercise is beneficial, elders should be cautious. The NIH warns that elders who haven't exercised in a long time should consult their physician before starting and slowly increase their activity levels. Other tips include the following:

1. Exercise programs should be incorporated into their daily lives
2. Activities should appeal to the elder and suit his or her lifestyle, budget and health
3. The elder can exercise several short times during the day or may opt to set aside a specific time to exercise during most days of the week

The NIH also encourages elders to vary their exercises by incorporating endurance (such as dancing), strength (such as weight-lifting), flexibility (such as yoga) and balance (such as Tai Chi) training. This variety both benefits the elder’s body and reduces the risk of injury. Many adult day care centers, senior centers and community programs offer these types of senior-focused exercise programs.