During the corona period people moved less and many thought that was a good excuse. But all over the world people have been moving less and less for a long time. Reasons for this include the availability of cars and public transport, which means that people walk and cycle less. Social media also play a major role: it is much easier to keep in touch with others.
Being overweight is also on the increase and that leads to less exercise. The growing inactivity is serious because physical activity is important for the mind and body. Exercise reduces the risk of obesity and diseases such as high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, which in turn reduces the risk of dementia.
Does our brain also work better if we move more? This is indeed the case with people - young and old - who have become lazy. When they start moving again, these brain functions improve: the ability to take initiative, plan things, control impulses and self-regulate. All of these we need to function independently. We do not yet know whether exercise can improve memory and other mental capacities in people with dementia. What we do know is that it is for people with dementia not to move, both for their physical and mental fitness.
The general advice is to exercise at least 5 days a week for 30 minutes consecutively, so that your heart rate increases or you perspire.
Neuropsychologist Erik Scherder and cardiologist Leonard Hofstra have done a lot of research and want to get everyone to exercise more with better nutrition. If you have a step counter, try to make at least 4000 steps a day. But going from 4,000 to 8,000 steps halves the chance of death. From 4,000 to 12,000, the chance decreases by two-thirds.
So make sure to stay physically active!
In our center, our physiotherapist guides a movement group once a week. There are also 2 exercise (yoga style) groups on the beach; one on Monday morning and another one on Tuesday morning.
For more information contact our center.
