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Dementia Exercise Valuable in Fighting Disease
We all know the value of exercise. That is stressed to us in all corners of society daily. What we are learning more about recently is the value exercise holds to act as a strategy to fight the potential onset and progression of dementia. Dementia exercise is key.
According to the Alzheimer’s Association, “Professionals working in dementia care have long observed that exercising at the mid-stages of Alzheimer’s disease helps patients maintain independent living skills, maintain muscle memory, reduce fall risk and promote balance and mobility. Exercise also helps reduce stress, anxiety, depression and insomnia – problems that often affect people in the mid-stages of Alzheimer’s.”
In a recent CNN interview, Bill Gates talked about “lots of exercise” as his personal defense against Alzheimer’s Disease.
Gates recently announced he was investing $50 million into the Dementia Discovery Fund. The Dementia Discovery Fund is the world’s largest venture fund focused entirely on discovering and developing novel therapies for dementia, including Alzheimer’s disease. Bill Gates sincerely believes we will find a treatment for the disease, and he is betting his own money on it.
In the interview, Gates reveals that he does have a history of the disease in his family and has seen the effects. “That’s not my sole motivation, but it certainly drew me in.” Dementia exercise seems to be important to him.
How to Find Safe, Effective Dementia Exercise Opportunities
It can be intimidating to enter a gym for the first time no matter who you are. Personally, I belong to a local gym, but it took me a while to feel comfortable there. I visit nearly every morning, so naturally,
over time, the facility, equipment, and fellow members became more familiar.
At first though, it was a bit uncomfortable. For those experiencing beginning stage Alzheimer’s symptoms and their caregivers, a trip to the local gym to exercise might be considered a rare “form of torture.” A bit of noise, plenty of distractions, and lacking the specific knowledge about what type of exercise is safe and beneficial, certainly makes for a very challenging situation.
Of course, you could hire a personal trainer, but that will likely incur a cost over and above the gym membership. In addition, what is likely the biggest challenge, is finding a personal trainer who is trained for working with people with adaptive exercise needs.
Defined: Adaptive Exercise
“The key is to choose the type of exercise that best fits the need,” says Marian A. Minor, PT, PhD, a researcher on arthritis and exercise and chair of the department of physical therapy at the University of Missouri in Columbia, MO. In a Healthy Women article, Minor describes this as when exercise is adapted to a specific condition, it can help improve movement, strength, and pain management.
One Strategy: Learn New Techniques
If you’re more of a “D.I.Y.er” here’s a couple suggestions for learning some new ways to approach dementia exercise safely. Enjoy these resources, but keep reading for the “Main Event” below!
Available on Amazon
Adaptive Yoga with a Chair
DVD by Jan Howell
If a limitation such as joint pain, age, weight, chronic illness, or any other condition limits you from exercising or even moving the way you wish you could, this DVD may just be for you.
Jan Howell is an experienced yoga instructor, who will lead you through yoga poses and exercises that have been adapted perfectly. These adaptations will allow you and your loved one to stretch safely, gently, and as a result, effectively.
Even if your loved one is confined to a wheelchair, they can benefit from this 90-minute DVD program. It includes instructions for both standing and sitting positions.
Available on Amazon
Stand Tall, Don’t Fall:
Improve Your Strength, Balance and Posture
Paperback by Bill Case PT
Bill Case has been a physical therapist for over 30 years, has lectured nationally and internationally on orthopedic injuries, and is a published authority on exercise, injury, and injury prevention.
Case knows that prevention and preparation are the keys to eliminating senior falls. Stand Tall, Don’t Fall is your complete guide to minimizing the physical limitations of the older adult. Complete with proven exercises to improve strength, balance, flexibility, and posture. It offers practical solutions and applications to prevent falls in older adults and help them avoid injury and retain their independence.
These are just a couple of examples of how easy it is to introduce safe, effective activity into your loved one’s routine. They don’t have to become “Gym Rats” to see the benefits of appropriate exercise. While all of this gives you increased knowledge, it does not create the structure and social aspect that comes with group exercise facilitated by professionals.
We recently ran across a very valuable resource that not only delivers on the “structure” and “social” elements, but in many cases is available for FREE!
The Main Event:
Introducing Live 2 B Healthy Fitness Classes
Live 2 B Healthy provides fitness classes for seniors and others with adaptive exercise needs. They are a national organization with franchisees in many local communities. They conduct group fitness sessions in over 300 senior living communities across the country.
Guess what?
They openly welcome outside participants
to join their classes for FREE!
These are sessions that take place at, and funded by senior living communities for their residents. In most cases, individuals who are not part of that senior community are allowed to participate for free. Why? My guess is that it makes it an easy way to show their community to people who may want to consider them for future living situations.
Live 2 B Healthy has been conducting group senior fitness classes in senior living communities since 2008. All of their classes are taught by Nationally Certified Personal trainers who are familiar with working with participants with a variety of adaptive needs.
To do that, they use small, portable pieces of equipment, and their trainers know how to help customize the movements so that each individual gets what they need out of the class. Not to mention, the group fitness model is a wonderful tool for socialization. All this combined makes for the perfect dementia exercise opportunity!
Find a Local Session or Start Your Own
Live 2 B Healthy publishes a comprehensive schedule of upcoming exercise sessions on their web site. You can search for your city and state to find a session near you.
Remember, many of these sessions are free of charge and open to the general public. You can inquire with the specific senior community directly. Full contact information is posted in each entry on the calendar.
Memory Cafe Connections
When we learned of Live 2 B Healthy’s program supporting dementia exercise, we knew it would be perfect for Memory Cafe participants. With over 600 listings in four countries – and growing every week, there is a huge opportunity to improve the collective health of our loved ones through dementia exercise.
The majority of Live 2 B Healthy classes are held in Independent and Assisted Living communities. However, with the growing awareness of the benefits of physical fitness in dealing with memory loss, more and more organizations (other than senior living communities) are using Live 2 B Healthy.
Communities like 55+ neighborhood co-ops, local senior centers, and many others hold regular group sessions. Your favorite Memory Cafe would make the perfect venue for regular group exercise!
Since the senior living communities fund the group sessions for their residents, there is of course a fee for sessions in other environments. However, Live 2 B Healthy has partnered with a number of insurance companies like SilverSneakers, Silver&Fit, and others. As a result, many participants do find that their insurance covers the monthly fee.
Safe, Effective, Enjoyable
What more could you want out of an exercise community for your loved one? Because of the experience of the Live 2 B Healthy trainers, individuals with mild to moderate cognitive decline should be entirely comfortable participating in almost any of their classes, regardless of the location.
We hope you find Live 2 B Healthy to be a valuable resource. Let us know about your experience in the comments below.
Now… take a lap! ?
