E stands for Exercise.
Walking, jogging, cycling, swimming, rowing, dancing, pickle ball, team sports — any form of movement that you enjoy — stimulates the growth of new brain cells and new connections between brain cells. Aim to do moderate to high intensity aerobic/endurance exercise for 30 minutes or more every day. This will halve your lifetime risk of getting dementia — a huge gain for a modest effort. Exercise also significantly improves brain function in people already diagnosed with dementia.
Equally important is strength training to maintain our muscle strength. The stronger our muscles, the stronger our mind. Lift weights, use bands, do push ups, climb stairs, squat up and down during TV ad breaks, engage a personal trainer, or google ‘strength training using my own body weight’ for hundreds of ways to strengthen your muscles. Do this 2-3 times a week for 30-50 minutes per session. For a deep dive into all things exercise and brain health, read the ‘Movement is medicine’ section of my book Can Adventure Prevent Dementia? and review the following HEBs about exercise here.
I did 8 hours of walking, scrambling, climbing and crawling today — so I think I’ve covered all the required forms of Exercise.
I’ll give you a break from trekking over the weekend and send the next video on Monday.
Until then, make your motto: a dance a day keeps dementia away! Dancing is physically, mentally and socially stimulating so it ticks three brain-boosting boxes in one hit.
To learn more about the inspiring work of Dementia Adventure, click here.
Or to make a donation, click here.
This is a photo from Stage 6 (of 22 stages) of the 300+km Pekoe Trail.
For more photos of my time in Sri Lanka, click here.
If you’d like to trek the Pekoe Trail yourself, please contact Deen at srilankatrekkingclub.com
I highly recommend you do it in the recommended 22 days, not the high speed 14 days that I did it in! You can also choose to only do one or a few of the stages to get a taste of Sri Lanka’s glorious tea country. Happy hiking – it’s a fabulous brain-boosting activity!
Please share this Health-e-Byte with anyone with an interest in brain health or a diagnosis of dementia.
