I just took me a walk. A walk that included rolling a water bottle back and forth between my hands and arms, giving me a wider stretch and a higher heart rate, admiring the birds, flowers and bunnies, singing my favorite song of the moment, and getting to know my neighborhood streets. It felt great.
I don’t use the word “should” very often, but here it is. I should exercise more often. Why? Because I am 53 years young, and I want to be well, as well as I can, while I am in charge of my own choices. My family lives long, into their 90’s, wise-cracking and/or waxing eloquent ’til the end of this chapter of living. But I’ve noticed my own lag of energy, or lack of peanut-butter-jar-opening strength, so it’s up to me. Luckily, it’s up to me to get where I want to go.
The Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation has promoted The Four Pillars of Alzheimer’s Prevention for over 20 years now. They are:
1) Diet (Food Choices) and Supplements
2) Stress Management
3) Physical and Mental Exercise
4) Spiritual Fitness / Life Purpose
One has to get the blood flowing. Did you know that 25% of every pump of the heart is supposed to go to the brain? If the heart is blocked, or not working at a higher capacity at all, well, that brain is not getting what it needs. It also means one might have symptoms of dementia because of varied health problems: constricted arteries, high or low blood pressure, other heart issues, etc.
I walked for 30 minutes. I needed to rest at the end. I have taught chair exercise; fabulous, do that if that fits. Whatever the top level of one’s abilities, one ought to go ahead and get going, for your own sake. Why take the risk of developing Alzheimer’s, when you have the power now to aim at preventing it?
Check out more valuable resources at APRF: 888.908.5766 or www.alzheimersprevention.org/4-pillars-of-prevention
Take care, and stay in touch,
Tryn Rose Seley,
Author, 15 Minutes of Fame: One Photo Does Wonders To Bring You Both Back to Solid Ground at www.caregiverheart.comPurchase PDF version of 15 Minutes of Fame
For those of you who prefer Amazon Kindle versions, Click Here.
For those of you who prefer Nook versions, Click Here.
Request printed copies at trynrose@gmail.com