We live in an increasing technology and device-dependent world. Having said that we have a dependency also indicates that there is a certain part of our body that we tend to use a lot less because of it. We are now part of a mentally and physically stagnating society because of it. According to Minot State University professor Terry Eckmann, who was the guest speaker on Brain Fitness at the International Council of Aging, the past 10 years have shown that there is an actual and direct correlation between the brain and physical movement or exercise.
Prof. Eckmann indicated that recent studies have shown that our brain is a constantly evolving and developing part of our body. We may stop developing physically, but our brain has a unique character that allows it to continue growing, even in our most advanced years of age. Brain exercise it seems prevents the onset of Alzheimer’s and dementia because brain use/exercise allows for the development of new neurons and neural pathways in the brain. Thereby proving that regular brain exercise has a direct effect on our physical well-being.
Brain exercise is nothing special. It does not require the use of any specific instruments, nor does it require any sort of special software to accomplish. Anytime we do anything physically challenging, such as learning a new dance routine or how to cook the recipe for a dish, we force our brain to exercise because of the cognitive need to understand what it is we have to physically manifest. Such activities ensure that our brain does not stagnate and instead, stimulate the brain by keeping it fresh with the analysis of new activities that turn into part of our daily routine.
It is not as hard to keep our brains as active as we think. Prof. Eckmann pointed out that any sort of physical activity, socialization, and volunteerism provides our brain with enough activity to keep a senior citizen’s brain active. For example, older adults who regularly hit the dance floor, either with a partner or just as part of an aerobic activity have the chance to reduce their chances of having Dementia by 75%. This is because the activity allows for the stimulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factors.
The rest of her video interview spoke about the other benefits of exercise on the physical aspect of a person, including how the concept of exercise has changed since the time before the baby boomers, the Jane Fonda era, and the current era as well being fanatics. The main point of her talk is that “Movement matters”, no matter how one gets it. Even something as simple as a 5-minute walk has long-lasting effects on our brain and physical well-being.
Overall, it was a highly engaging and informative talk. Ms. Eckmann was well prepared and came armed with the most up-to-date information that will keep students of Health and Medicine engaged in the video podcast. It would seem like the information she is presenting has already been presented before, and that may be the case, but very few experts manage to create a relationship between mental fitness and physical exercise such as she was able to.
This is why I would highly recommend watching this video to anybody in the field of neurology, rehab medicine, or even those who simply have an aging relative.
This kind of information is one that we are best off knowing about and implementing in our daily lives. That is if you want to remain socially active during the remainder of your retired lives. Nobody would want a limited social life by the time he turns 70 just because his brain isn’t functioning the way it used to. Turns out, we can prevent the brain from aging, even if our physical system continues to age. And that is good news for everybody all around.