Start Exercising and Stop Losing Your Keys!

PhysiowinnipegHealth and WellnessLeave a Comment

Image courtesy of pixabay.com

Image courtesy of pixabay.com

When was the last time you lost your keys (or your phone or some other essential item)? This probably happened to you recently, maybe even mere hours ago! There are few things more frustrating and time consuming than short-term memory loss such as this. We all experience this to an extent, especially as we age. However, we shouldn’t use aging as an excuse to tolerate a rusty memory.

You have more say than you know about what type of memory you have as you grow older. If you want a great memory or would simply like to stop losing your keys everyday, there’s one thing you must start doing: Exercising.

Exercise: the Antidote to Memory Loss

It is amazing what exercise does for the human body. Not only does it promote a healthy weight, elevate mood and boost energy levels; it also prevents memory loss. The article Exercise Improves Memory states, “Researchers at the University of British Columbia have found that exercise (both aerobic & strengthening) can help prevent memory loss, in fact even boost it, in relation to mildly impaired memory.  And this is good news since people with mildly impaired memory loss have higher incidences of developing Alzheimer’s Disease.” For those of us who want to preserve our memories, this is very encouraging.

To Improve Memory, Combine Strength Training with Cardio

Any type of exercise is effective at improving and preserving memory. However, before you put your running shoes on, understand that the combination of strength training and cardio is the most potent at keeping your brain healthy. If for some reason you can’t get both types of exercise, however, don’t use that as an excuse to totally forgo physical activity. While it’s best to combine resistance training with cardio, all forms of physical activity will positively affect memory.

Tips for Becoming More Active

The idea of becoming more physically active is appealing but hard to put into practice. This is because people often bite off more than they can chew in this area. They want to run a 5K, so they start out running a mile or two a day. As a result, they either get injured or burned out. Becoming physically active shouldn’t be this difficult, and it doesn’t have to be if you put a couple of the following tips into practice starting today…

  • When it’s cold out, walk around a shopping mall.
  • Park farther away from the grocery store than usual.
  • Take the stairs, not the elevator.
  • Garden.
  • Hand-wash your car.
  • Go to a yoga or Pilates class.
  • If you can’t afford a gym membership, check out exercise videos from your public library or search for them on YouTube.
  • Take time to play with your kids.
  • If possible, walk your children to school.
  • Establish a tradition of taking a family walk every Saturday or Sunday afternoon.
  • Make dinner instead of picking up takeout.

See how easy it can be to work exercise into your daily life? If you’d like to have a more personalized exercise regime created for you, contact a physiotherapist.

Exercise helps ensure a healthy memory. Remember (no pun intended), when you start becoming more physically active, you’ll stop losing your keys.

 

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