Anyone who has had a family member suffer with Dementia, Parkinson’s, or Alzheimer's disease will know all about the pain and stress that these diseases create. While we give so much attention to using exercise to improve how we look, improving the strength of our muscles and bone density, or even improving our overall cardiovascular health, we forget how important exercise is to our brain and cognitive function. I am certain many people do not realize just how important exercise is to maintaining a healthy brain and preventing the onset of debilitating diseases like dementia. Like most chronic diseases we tend to blame it on old age or genetics, and while these do play a part, it is our sedentary lifestyle and poor food choices that are mostly to blame for the rapid rise of these diseases. This means YOU have some control over this and can make a significant difference to the quality of your life as you age. In this article, I will show you how.

How Prevalent Is Cognitive Decline In 2022?

Alzheimer's disease continues to be a leading cause of death in many countries around the world. In the U.S. statistics show 1 in 3 seniors die with Alzheimer's or dementia — more than the number killed by breast and prostate cancers combined!

The statistics in Australia are very similar and the rapid rise of this disease is alarming. Here are the current statistics provided by Dementia Australia

• Dementia is the second leading cause of death of Australians.
• Dementia is the leading cause of death for women.
• In 2022, there are an estimated 487,500 Australians living with dementia. Without a medical breakthrough, the number of people with dementia is expected to increase to almost 1.1 million by 2058.
• In 2022, there were an estimated 28,800 people with younger onset dementia, expected to rise to 29,350 people by 2028 and 41,250 people by 2058. This can include people in their 30s, 40s and 50s.
• In 2021, it is estimated that almost 1.6 million people in Australia are involved in the care of someone living with dementia.
• Approximately 70% of people with dementia live in the community.
• More than two-thirds (68.1%) of aged care residents have moderate to severe cognitive impairment.

Just like all things to do with health the media does a very poor job of communicating the message of preventing disease as they focus so intently on communicating ways to fix or cure problems. While modern health technology has made some great advances with diagnostic tools it has failed miserably with treating diseases that are lifestyle created. We are obsessed with finding cures that it has blinded our thinking with what truly causes the problem.

Getting old is unavoidable, but falling to pieces in the last 5-10 years of your life is not. Why do some people live to their late 90’s with relative good health, while others suffer for years with chronic disease? It is not good luck that makes the difference but different lifestyle choices.

How Our Brains Decline

As we get older the cells in our body gradually lose their ability to cope with stress. As the damage builds up the immune system is activated and sends in white blood cells to clean up the dead cells, which creates inflammation. If the damage becomes chronic it creates even more damaging proteins which are the very ones linked to the development of Alzheimer’s.

With regards to the brain when neurons get worn out from excessive cellular stress they eventually erode and sever the connection. Losing a signal here and there is not a big deal as you are constantly making new ones connections and rewiring yourself from stimulation of daily living and problem solving. Problems arise when the decay outpaces the new construction.

At first you do it starts out as little things like forgetting a person’s name or a place you have been to but over time if left unchecked leads to more destructive cognitive decline and eventually become dementia. It is at this point people start to retreat into their homes for fear of embarrassing themselves or that they may even unknowingly do something dangerous. Becoming more isolated and more predictable with your daily activities is the fast track to cognitive decline. Studies show that those who identify as feeling lonely are twice as likely to develop Alzheimer’s.

This is why it is so important to ensure your brain is receiving constant stimulation on a daily basis as you age to ensure your brain is restoring more damaged cells.

And this is where exercise can become extremely beneficial for it not only prevents the brain from rotting, it also helps to reverse the deterioration with aging by providing the brain with the stimulus it needs to build new cells and outpace the loss of damaged ones.

The Positive Effect of Exercise

Exercise sparks connections and growth in your brain cells by increasing blood volume, regulating fuel supply, and encouraging more neural activity. The aging brain is much more vulnerable to excessive damage so the need to strengthen it is more important than ever. Exercise not only challenges you physically but also mentally if you are constantly changing your routine and mixing things up.

Also the value of interaction and social connection with other people cannot be understated and provides the spark the brain needs to create new cells. Those who enjoy working out will know all about the dopamine effect it can provide, and how exercise can help reverse the feelings of depression and change the way you look at the world.

There have been countless studies documenting the value of exercise for reducing the severity or onset of dementia and Alzheimer disease.

“Adults who routinely engaged in physical activities, sports, or regular exercise in midlife carried a significantly lower risk of dementia years later, based on a recent meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. Reduction of dementia risk was documented in 10 of 11 studies!”

Reference: Hamer M, Chida Y. Physical activity and risk of neurodegenerative disease: a systematic review of prospective evidence. Psychol Med. 2009; 39:3-11 [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Here is another interesting study from Finland you will find in the book “Spark” by John J Ratey MD.

“1500 hundred people were surveyed in the early 1970’s and contacted again 21 years later when they were between 65-79 years old. Those who had exercised at least twice per week were 50% less likely to have dementia!”

Another important fact about exercise is its role in regulating your energy supply. The brain is very inefficient and greedy when it comes to energy consumption and uses about 20% of our energy supply even though it only makes up 2% of our total weight. Exercise is vital in maintaining a steady supply of energy as it helps to regulate your ability to use fat or glucose as the fuel supply.

The very factors that exercise helps to regulate with Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease also help to reduce the risk of developing cognitive decline in older age.

There are as many as 20 other beneficial biochemical changes that occur during exercise, some that help you burn calories and lose body fat, while others help stabilise your blood sugar and maintain testosterone and cortisol levels. Basically, being a healthy weight and exercising regularly creates a good cycle that optimises and helps maintain healthy glucose, insulin and leptin levels.

You can read more about the value of exercise for preventing chronic disease in the articles in the links below

• Type 2 diabetes prevention is better than a cure
• What exercise is best for improving heart health?

What Exercise Is Best To Improve Cognitive Function?

Most of the studies completed in this field have concentrated mainly on aerobic training like walking, cycling, swimming and jogging. However, the value of strength training I would argue is of more value and I will explain why shortly. I believe a combination of both produces the best results.

Firstly let’s take a look at what some of the research into cardio training tells us.

On page 202 in the book "The End of Alzheimer’s Program", by Dr Dale Brederson he provides a summary of an interesting study.

“Brain imaging showed that those who participate in vigorous aerobic exercise had reduced levels of tau, which is protein associated with the development of Alzheimer’s. Additionally those who completed aerobic exercise had increased blood flow in the memory and processing centres of the brain in addition to measurable improvements in the attention, planning, and organizing abilities. Older adults with higher respiratory fitness also had better preservation of brain volume, increased cortical thickness, and greater white matter integrity.”

We know that cardiovascular training is great for many chronic diseases and is always the preferred choice by many doctors. However long and slow exercise is not nearly as beneficial as interval training.

This is when you break your exercise session into short segments that alternate high intensity with a rest period in-between, and it can dramatically improve your cardiovascular fitness and fat-burning capabilities in a fraction of the time. Interval training has also been found to improve cognitive function in older adults with the greatest improvements seen in speed processing, then memory, and executive function.

The danger of this exercise is the intensity may be too great to begin with if the person is not well conditioned, or the risk of injury is greater if they do not move well. When people look to get in shape they believe that moving well will just happen. All they have to do is get out there and get it done and the body will fix itself. Unfortunately it won’t. And movement problems will only get worse when compounded by frequency and volume of training.

Read the article – Why you should never sacrifice exercise technique to see more on this.

While it is clear that exercise is essential you cannot just start trying to crush yourself with endless cardio. You have to start with basics of learning to move correctly and ensure the body has enough strength and stability to handle the stress of aerobic exercise. This is where strength training is invaluable as you prepare your body for the future stress of interval training. Also strength training that encourages the use of functional movement provides the brain with numerous challenges and problem solving situations that help to reverse the damaging effects of cellular decay.

There is no point to completing an aerobic exercise plan with an older adult if they are at risk of a fall or lack the strength to complete the activity. All you will achieve is more problems. The danger of Sarcopenia, osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and bone density loss contributing to falls cannot be overstated, and these factors can be well managed and even prevented by applying a well-designed strength training program.

Peak bone mass is reached at around 25 years of age and normally remains relatively stable until around the age of 50. However after the age of 50, progressive losses of bone mineral density begins to occur and as bones lose their density, becoming weaker the risk of fracture during regular activities increases. The value of using strength training to manage arthritis is well known as the joints improve their stability and bone density.

Research has found that multi-directional exercises with load improve bone density and bone strength faster due to the fact that they incorporate so many of the structural lines needed for everyday life moving. By forcing challenges with these exercises with either load or speed these lines adapt and create a structural change to the bones. This is one reason why machine training provides little to no effect. The positive effects of regular exercise appear to be largest for tasks that are more complex and which require executive control.

This is very interesting stuff! For this tells us that the very type of exercise they need to use to improve their bone density and muscular strength is the very same activity that forces the brain to respond with high degree of activity!

Take a look at the picture below to see 3 examples of strength training exercises demanding high levels of brain activity to provide efficient movement.

To see these exercises in action below are some links to You Tube videos.

• Best exercises for falls prevention
• Exercises to improve daily activities with older adults

Another big factor that is clearly affected by strength training is the effect of Human Growth Hormone (HGH). Research has consistently found that the levels of this hormone doubles during a strength workout versus cardio activity like running and cycling. The HGH is paramount to many critical factors in the body in maintenance of great health.

Without doubt strength training is the single most important activity any one over the age of 40 should be doing. The older you are, or the sicker and injured you are, the more important this becomes!

You must think of exercise and in particular strength training as medicine, and not as a luxury you could maybe add in to your lifestyle. It should be right up the top, along with quality nutrition, as the most important tasks to do regarding your health.

If I have not yet convinced you then take a look at the list of benefits you can achieve from completing a strength program 2-3 times per week of only 30-45 minutes each session!

1. Muscle is the biggest influence on your metabolic rate. The more you have the faster your metabolism and the easier it is to lose weight
2. Muscle regulates hormones and helps to prevent disease like diabetes and cancer often caused from insulin resistance
3. Muscle improves bone density and prevents bone fractures, osteoporosis, sarcopenia, and can even reverse arthritis.
4. Muscle prevents injury and improves stability across all joints

Good articles to read about this are below

• Secrets to staying in shape when you are over 40
• Strength training for improving bone density
• Strength training is the best anti-aging exercise

Gut Health & Quality Nutrition Is Vital For Brain Health

While exercise is essential you cannot ignore the impact a quality diet can have. Like all things to do with health exercise by itself can only do so much and this is no different when it comes to dementia. Avoiding processed foods and eating a wide variety of vegetables, healthy fats, and vegetables is critical to achieving great health. One element of nutrition that has attracted a lot of attention in recent times with regards to cognitive decline is digestive health, intermittent fasting, and the keto diet.

The connection between brain health and gut health has grown clearer, and research suggests that the bacteria in your intestines may influence brain functioning and can even promote neurodegeneration. One reason why fasting is so beneficial for neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's is because it helps your body to cycle through autophagy and the rebuilding phase.

Autophagy is the process by which your body cleans out damaged organelles, encouraging proliferation of new, healthy cells, which relates to Alzheimer's because the refolding process is one of several factors that need to work in order for your brain to function. Importantly, fasting activates autophagy, which is your body's way of taking out the trash, and will also trigger the regeneration of stem cells.

Used in combination with your exercise is a powerful way to combat the onset of chronic disease.

The Keto diet is a great way to learn how to control blood sugars by eating a diet most comprised of good fat. When following the Keto diet your daily food intake would be made up of approximately 70% fat, 15-25% protein and the remaining 5% in low energy carbohydrates such as vegetables.

This type of eating forces the body to burn fats for its fuel rather than carbohydrates. Normally, the carbohydrates contained in food are converted into glucose to be give us energy for movement. Unfortunately people tend to eat far too many carbohydrates and end up with more fuel than they require and huge amount of sugar in their blood.

The keto diet starves the body of these carbohydrates and makes your body more fat dependant and less carbohydrate dependant for its fuel source. This is great for the brain as it ensures you have a steady and constant fuel supply.

In combination with the Keto diet, intermittent fasting is very powerful way to control blood sugars and converting your body into a fat burner. There is a good reason this has attracted a lot of attention in recent years for it works extremely well.

The 16/8 Intermittent fasting involves fasting every day for 14–16 hours and restricting your daily eating window to 8–10 hours. Most people would eat their dinner around 7pm and not eat again for another 16 hours which is around lunchtime the following day.

Here are some of the benefits of using this with your diet.

Great articles to read with more detail about this are shown below.

• How to use the Keto Diet to improve your health
• Before you try intermittent fasting read this first

Don’t Ignore the Value of Vitamin D

Vitamin D is involved in immune system, hormone, bone, and brain health. As we age, our synthesis of vitamin D from sun exposure declines. It is fair to say vitamin D deficiency is extremely common across all ages in today’s world as we have become more office bound sitting indoors using computers. This combined with poor food is a perfect recipe for vitamin D deficiency.

Inadequate amounts of vitamin D in older people reduces can aggravate the ageing process, in particular reducing mobility and adds to the severity of osteoporosis and the risks of falls and fragility fractures with all of their severe consequences.

As we age and reduce our amount of outdoor activity and time spent in the sun the chance of problems increase. This is more apparent with people suffering disability or dementia and are severely limited with their movement.

As vitamin D is not easily obtained from our food the need for supplementation is required in most people stuck indoors with dementia. You should speak to your doctor to find out the amount of vitamin D you may need to consume each, depending on the degree of deficiency. Also make sure you consume enough fat in your diet for vitamin D is fat soluble, meaning it’s only absorbed in the presence of fat. If you are avoiding fats you could potentially causing trouble for your body to absorb essential vitamins.

This is a very big subject in its own right and you can read more about this in the article – Vitamin D is critical to your immune health and this is why 

Do You Need More Help?

To include all of the exercises along with instructions and pictures this article would be over 10,000 words and take too long to read. To make it easier I created detailed PDF reports that will relate to the specific needs of older adults. They include everything you need to know about nutrition and exercise. There is specific chapters relating to various needs like strength training, diabetes, lung capacity, cholesterol, and even detailed heart rate testing assessments.

Summary

There is no doubt that exercise is essential for the prevention of so many of the chronic diseases rampant in our society at the moment. Our ignorance to moving well and moving more often is apparent with the statistics showing how many people are living the last years with a very poor quality of life. We cannot rely on the Government or healthcare system to help you for they are more concerned with cures and fixing you after things have turned bad. It is up to each and every one of us to take responsibility for our own health and apply the things discussed in this article.

We cannot stop aging, but we can change how we age!

For more ideas and information on specific topics I may not have covered in detail be sure to check out our INDEX PAGE on the website that has over 300 of our best articles. These are all sorted into categories for quick reference so you can find what you are after more easily. You can also subscribe to our FREE fortnightly newsletter by clicking here.

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About The Author

Nick Jack is owner of No Regrets Personal Training and has over 16 years’ experience as a qualified Personal Trainer, Level 2 Rehabilitation trainer, Level 2 Holistic Life Coach, Accredited Tai-Chi instructor, CHEK practitioner, and Level 2 Sports conditioning Coach. Based in Melbourne Australia he specializes in providing solutions to injury and health problems for people of all ages using the latest methods of assessing movement and corrective exercise.

References:

• The End Of Alzheimers by Dr Dale Brederson
• Dementia Australia
• Movement - By Gray Cook
• Spark - by John J Ratey
• Precision Nutrition
• Breaking the habit of being yourself - Dr Joe Dispenza
• Bending The Aging Curve - By Robert Signorile
• Corrective Exercise Solutions - by Evan Osar
• Diagnosis & Treatment Of Movement Impairment Syndromes - By Shirley Sahrman
• Motor Learning and Performance - By Richard A Schmidt and Timothy D Lee
• Assessment & Treatment Of Muscle Imbalance - By Vladimir Janda
• How To Eat, Move & Be Healthy by Paul Chek
• Advanced Program Design - By Paul Chek