Jonathan G. Hakun, Penn State

Exercise

Everyday physical activity, like going for a short walk or playing with the kids, may provide short-term benefits for cognitive health, equivalent to reversing four years of cognitive aging. That was a key finding for my colleagues and me in our new study, which was published in the journal Annals of Behavioral Medicine.

Prior to enrollment into a study of diet and dementia risk, we asked a diverse sample of 204 middle-aged adults to check in five times per day for a period of nine days, via a smartphone application.

Each check-in involved completing a brief survey that asked about their mood, dietary choices and whether they engaged in any physical activity in the roughly three and a half hours leading up to the survey. In addition, participants completed a few brief brain games – meaning performance-based cognitive assessments that lasted about one minute each – to assess mental speed and short-term memory.

My team found that performance on our measure of cognitive processing speed improved during check-ins when participants reported being physically active in the time leading up to the survey. While we didn’t see improvements in our measure of working memory, the time taken to complete the memory task mirrored what we saw for the measure of processing speed.

We observed these improvements in speed regardless of whether the activity was lighter intensity or moderate-to-vigorous intensity. This led us to conclude that movement, whether it took the form of intentional exercise or part of a daily routine, was the essential ingredient for achieving this benefit.

Why it matters

As a rule, we get slower, both physically and mentally, as we age. While research on exercise and living a healthy lifestyle has demonstrated the long-term cognitive and brain health benefits of remaining physically active, much of this work has focused on the moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity – or what most of us think of as exercise – recommended by the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans.

Still, these guidelines and other experts recommend that adults move more and sit less.

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My colleagues and I are interested in understanding how moving more can improve our cognitive health or reduce our risk of dementia as we age, at what timescale these benefits show up, and what types of movement qualify. https://www.youtube.com/embed/lk3mrNqhn24?wmode=transparent&start=0 Exercise promotes blood circulation and the growth of neurons.

What still isn’t known

Our study relied on participants to report whether they had been physically active during the time between each check-in. Even though participants were provided training on how to think about the intensity levels, it’s possible that each participant had a slightly different perception of their activities.

For example, a participant may not have believed their recent walk actually qualified as a moderate-intensity activity. Physical activity monitors that can dissociate time and intensity might help future research unravel these associations more clearly.

What’s next

It isn’t yet clear whether these short-term benefits accumulate over time to result in long-term improvements in brain health and dementia risk reduction. Research efforts are underway by our team to better understand these associations over broader timescales.

My research involves data collection via smartphones and wearable devices to help us better understand how health-promoting behaviors and cognitive health interact as we age. This type of digital approach allows my team to pursue questions about how everyday behavior and experience influence cognition in daily life and represents a significant methodological advancement in the dementia risk and prevention research space.

Using these tools, we aim to better identify individuals at risk for negative cognitive outcomes and new targets for dementia prevention.

Jonathan G. Hakun, Assistant Professor of Neurology, Psychology, & Public Health Sciences, Penn State

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This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.

(Family Features) In the weeks and months immediately following a stroke, an early rehabilitation program offers the best possible recovery outcomes. While each person’s stroke recovery journey is unique, starting the path toward rehabilitation as soon as it’s medically safe allows stroke survivors to mitigate the lasting effects.

According to the American Stroke Association, a division of the American Heart Association, each year, approximately 800,000 people in the United States have a stroke. Strokes can happen to anyone, at any age. In fact, globally about 1 in 4 adults over the age of 25 will have a stroke in their lifetime.

Early Intervention
The rehabilitation and support a survivor receives can greatly influence health outcomes and recovery. The first three months after a stroke are especially critical. Although recovery may continue for years after a stroke, this time in the immediate aftermath of a stroke is when the brain is most able to adjust to the damage done by the stroke so the survivor can learn new ways to do things.

Physical, Communication and Cognitive Changes
Following a stroke, a survivor may experience physical changes, such as fatigue, seizures, weakness or paralysis on one side of the body or spasticity, stiff or rigid muscles which may cause difficulty with completing daily activities and tasks. If experiencing fatigue, speak with your health care provider about ways to reduce it. Your care team may also be able to provide medications to help with seizures and spasticity. Physical therapy is also an option.

Challenges after a stroke depend on the severity and location of the stroke. In addition to various physical disabilities, stroke survivors may experience aphasia, communication and thought problems related to speaking, listening, understanding or memory. Planning, organizing ideas or making decisions can also be harder.

“Remember to be patient when communicating with a stroke survivor,” said Elissa Charbonneau, M.S., D.O., chief medical officer of Encompass Health and an American Stroke Association national volunteer. “The impact of a stroke on cognitive, speech and language can be significant and isolating. When connecting with a stroke survivor, some helpful practices include demonstrating tasks, breaking actions into smaller steps, enunciating, asking multiple choice questions and repetition.”

Customized Rehabilitation
Once a stroke survivor’s medical condition is stabilized and he or she is ready to leave the hospital, rehabilitation can help restore function and teach new ways to complete everyday tasks. Rehabilitation may take place in an inpatient facility, skilled nursing facility or long-term acute care facility. Outpatient clinics and home health agencies can also provide rehabilitative care in certain circumstances.

One patient’s rehab journey might include therapy to improve balance, strength or mobility while another might need speech or other therapies. A rehabilitation designed for the individual is critical.

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Preventing a Recurrence
After a first stroke, nearly 1 in 4 survivors will have another. Stroke survivors can help reduce their risk of having another stroke by working with their health care team to identify what caused the stroke and uncover personal risk factors.

Taking steps such as healthy eating, reducing sedentary time and taking medications as prescribed can help your brain and reduce your risk of a repeat stroke. Controlling conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes and sleep apnea also reduce your risk of having another stroke.

Support During Your Journey
Caregivers and other loved ones can provide important long-term support during your recovery and rehabilitation.

Find resources for stroke rehab and recovery including the “Life After Stroke” guide, “Simply Good” cookbook and a support network to connect with other survivors at Stroke.org/Recovery.

Photo courtesy of Getty Images
 

SOURCE:
American Heart Association

The Bridge is a section of the STM Daily News Blog meant for diversity, offering real news stories about bona fide community efforts to perpetuate a greater good. The purpose of The Bridge is to connect the divides that separate us, fostering understanding and empathy among different groups. By highlighting positive initiatives and inspirational actions, The Bridge aims to create a sense of unity and shared purpose. This section brings to light stories of individuals and organizations working tirelessly to promote inclusivity, equality, and mutual respect. Through these narratives, readers are encouraged to appreciate the richness of diverse perspectives and to participate actively in building stronger, more cohesive communities.

https://stmdailynews.com/the-bridge

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Anne Lusk, Boston University

Most senior citizens get around in their daily lives by driving, walking or using public buses and subways. But many people in their 60s and 70s could potentially be interested in other options, such as cycling. At a time when cycling is growing in the U.S. and the overall population is aging, seniors’ preferences for bike designs and bike networks are very relevant.

Older people may have concerns about riding a two-wheeled bike if they are afraid of falling – a risk that increases with age and causes many seniors to become less active. Many cities and communities are working to create safer bike networks, but these are designed for young, physically fit bikers, who are less afraid to bike near cars and don’t need an occasional bathroom break.

Some seniors live in assisted living complexes or memory care facilities that have roads, sidewalks and paths for residents pushing walkers. However, these complexes don’t usually have bike storage rooms, bike loops or safe bike pathways to local parks and stores.

I am a researcher in architecture – with a focus on environment and behavior – and a senior, and I have studied bikes and bike networks for over 43 years. In my latest project, I worked with Seth Gale, a behavioral neurologist; Linda Mazie, a health and wellness coach who works with seniors; and Heidi Savage, a fitness director who also works with seniors, to learn from older people what kinds of bicycles and bike networks would help them stay active and independent through cycling. https://www.youtube.com/embed/vrrzFnzYUXI?wmode=transparent&start=0 In the Netherlands, where many people of all ages routinely ride bikes, local officials take a tour with older riders to identify spots that seniors find particularly unsafe on their route.

We found that a majority of the seniors whom we surveyed and who test-rode three bikes preferred a three-wheeled adult tricycle or a two-seat model that lets riders sit side by side. For infrastructure, their key requirements included bike loops, separation from cars and nearby bathrooms.

Benefits of biking for seniors

Many older people in the U.S. don’t get enough physical activity for healthy aging. A 2016 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that more than one-fourth of all adults over 50 did not engage in any physical activity outside of work. This share increased with age and was higher among people with chronic diseases such as cancer, diabetes and depression. Inactivity was significantly higher among women than men, and among Black and Hispanic seniors compared with white seniors.

Biking provides many health benefits, including cardiovascular exercise, stronger muscles, better coordination and lower stress levels. It also offers benefits that are particularly relevant for seniors. For example, one study found that cycling for at least one hour per week significantly improved older people’s balance, potentially making them less vulnerable to falls.

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There also are findings suggesting that exercise may help slow the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. For example, one study showed that when mice exercised on a wheel, their muscles produced irisin, a hormone that supports cognitive function. The irisin passed into their brain, improving memory and spatial awareness.

Senior-friendly bikes

For our study, we distributed surveys with pictures of senior-friendly bikes and questions about bike networks to 178 seniors in four senior communities in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. Participants ranked the pictures according to how well they liked the various bike designs and offered more comments while seeing the pictures on a large screen.

We also borrowed three senior-friendly bikes made by Van Raam, a Dutch company that designs bikes for a wide range of special needs. These models included:

• A three-wheeled bike for side-by-side riders who each have handlebars and who can pedal together while one steers.
• An adult tricycle with a back rest and low center of gravity.
• A two-wheeled bike with a low center bar that makes it easy to step through when getting on or off.

Fifty seniors at RiverWoods-Exeter, a senior living complex in New Hampshire, and Fox Hill Village, an independent living community for seniors in Westwood, Massachusetts, were invited to test-ride the three models and complete a survey about their experiences.

Designing bike networks for older riders

Based on photos, participants were most enthusiastic about the adult tricycle and also were interested in the two-seat three-wheeler. Adult tricycles are harder to pedal than bikes with two wheels, and rounding corners involves turning the handlebars without leaning, so these models have a learning curve. However, they offer stability, which clearly was important to the people in our study.

Among seniors who did test rides, the most popular model was the single-seat three-wheeled bike. Unlike a low recumbent bicycle, this bike’s seat is about as high as a chair, and unlike an adult tricycle, it has a back rest.

Participants’ second choice was the three-wheeled two-seater bike, which has seats with backs, arm rests and seat belts. Fewer participants were willing to test-ride the two-wheeled regular bike with a low center bar; those who tried it were already comfortable riding two-wheeled bikes.

Comments were enthusiastic, especially for the two-seater bike. Seniors wrote, “I like the social aspect and teamwork”; “I see this as an asset to our community”; and, simply, “Awesome!!!”

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Some noted that the two-seater could work for seniors who were caregivers for their spouses. One husband wrote, “This would be great to ride with my wife, who hasn’t ridden a bike for 50 years.”

In response to survey questions about the most important features of a senior-friendly bike network, participants said they wanted to be able to bike for 30 minutes at a stretch, ride twice a week and have a bathroom available.

For a network added to their assisted living complexes, they wanted a cycling loop on-site; a route to a destination outside the complex; a smooth, flat riding surface with grass shoulders; and picnic tables and water nearby. Participants felt that cars traveled too fast in their residential complexes, so they wanted to ride on separated paths rather than on existing roads.

Our findings echo other studies that have shown that senior cyclists want to ride in protected bike lanes or separate paved paths, rather than in street traffic. Because many seniors have limited vision, another feature that can make bike paths safer for them is light-colored demarcation strips at the edges of the path to help older riders avoid veering off the main cycle path, especially at night.

Pedaling ahead

Here are the key steps that I believe would be required to develop findings like ours into scalable bicycling programs for seniors in the U.S.

Some seniors might appreciate having classes to relearn how to ride a two-wheeled bike, or to ride with another person on a two-seater model. Assisted living complexes could install bike storage sheds and buy several senior-friendly bikes for residents to ride.

Protected bike lanes could be made more senior-friendly by building them level with the adjoining sidewalk, so that a third wheel could rest on the edge of the parallel sidewalk. Lanes optimized for senior riders would be continuous and have bicycle traffic signals, raised crosswalks and nearby public bathrooms with signs leading to them.

Routes could run from residential neighborhoods to destinations such as coffee shops, post offices, grocery and drugstores, and parks. Destinations could provide space to park and lock the bikes while riders shopped or had coffee.

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The U.S. has an aging population, and seniors’ health is an important concern for seniors themselves, their caregivers and taxpayers. There is strong evidence that increased bicycle use by seniors could help many people live healthier and more independent lives well into their golden years.

Anne Lusk, Lecturer in Urban Agriculture, Boston University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Our Lifestyle section on STM Daily News is a hub of inspiration and practical information, offering a range of articles that touch on various aspects of daily life. From tips on family finances to guides for maintaining health and wellness, we strive to empower our readers with knowledge and resources to enhance their lifestyles. Whether you’re seeking outdoor activity ideas, fashion trends, or travel recommendations, our lifestyle section has got you covered. Visit us today at https://stmdailynews.com/category/lifestyle/ and embark on a journey of discovery and self-improvement.

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