Did you know: moving not only keeps your joints strong and active, it also keeps your brain healthy!
As your responsibilities (kids, job and home) change, your body AND mind become less active. Research shows high potential for cognitive changes when physical activity levels decline.
Studies recommend adding resistive exercise and cardio daily to strengthen muscles and your mind.
How does this work? Improved blood flow!
Blood carries nutrients and oxygen to the muscles.
Guess what? Your brain is a muscle!
So is your heart, lungs and other vital organs.
Organs are like kids, they’re needy and demand attention before your skin and muscles can get any. However, they only take what they think they need.
As routines slow, your body grazes for energy instead of preparing for activity and storing supplies. THEN when you try to move more than your normal amount, you feel tired. (Remember all those times the kids sat at the dinner table, said they were full, but came back 10 minutes later to say they were still hungry!?)
Research shows long lasting home exercise programs with resistance training lead to significant gains in cognitive function.
Combining the resistance activities with dual modality cognitive exercises create even more demand on the body. This increases signals to the brain which could result in the ability to think quicker, react quicker and potentially have less risk for falls!
So next time you see a speech therapist, don’t say “I can talk, I don’t need speech.”
The therapist may have a few more tricks up her sleeve to help you succeed in your home with reduced risk for falls.
Reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6109308/
The Anderson Nursing & Rehabilitation strongly believes that you deserve to be in your home as long as it is safely possible. Short Term Rehabilitation is the primary reason people come to The Anderson. We thrive on helping you recover and getting you back home and to normal life, as quickly as possible.
Nicole Martin OTR/L is a Licensed and Registered Occupational Therapist, and Director of the Therapy Department, at The Anderson Nursing & Rehabilitation Facility. Her passion and desire to help people recover from injuries started at a young age, and she now has 20 years of experience. Nicole has worked with
