You Need To Get Moving To Avoid Alzheimer's

Last week we discussed dedicating part of our 168 hours per week to intentional exercise.   I want you to consider that idea today.  If you set aside five hours per week to exercise, you will be amazed at your body’s response.  That exercise can be something as simple as a brisk walk or as vigorous as a weighted workout or aerobic exercise.  If you are not a regular exerciser, start with a walk around the block.  Count your steps.  It takes me about 1,150 steps to cover a half mile.  Your number might vary some, but that is a good starting point.  So start walking and start counting.  Determine a path in your community that will have you covering 2300 to 2500 steps.  Get started moving!

I realize there are days this will be difficult.  You may feel stressed by the demands of life.  However, the benefits of going for a walk will far outweigh the energy exerted.  Walking fast enough to get your heart rate up will act as a “cleansing agent”  for the body.  You sweat out impurities, you release stress, you experience a building-up of pleasant  emotions, and you  make your body a healthier machine.

The Alzheimer’s Research and Prevention Foundation recently announced that regular exercise can decrease your chances of getting Alzheimer’s dementia by as much as 50%!  My mother has dementia, and her mother had dementia.  You can bet I am exercising! 

So, I am just about finished writing this blog, and my day’s plans have changed drastically.  Rather than going to work for a few hours, practicing with my choir at the assisted living across the street, and exercising with my Leslie Sansone video this afternoon (see “Favorite Products” at www.seniorlifejourneys.com), I am waiting at my mother-in-law’s house to take her to an unexpected 10AM doctor’s appointment.   God is the only one who knows how the rest of my day will proceed.  However, I feel sure He will allow me at least an hour to exercise so I will be better prepared to care for those people He has trusted to my care.  Don't deprive yourself of a healthy workout!