Physical activity can boost memory, improve thinking, even lower dementia risks — and it’s not too late to start.
Regular aerobic exercise boosts blood flow to your brain, and also boosts the size of your hippocampus, the part of your brain that’s involved in verbal memory and learning.
Physical activity promotes healthy synapses, the small pockets of space between neurons that allow them to communicate. Regular exercise may also reduce age-related inflammation that can also impact the brain.
A landmark New England Journal of Medicine study followed seniors for more than 20 years and found that regular dancing reduced the risk of dementia by 76 percent — twice as much as reading. More recently, a 2017 review published in the journal Current Alzheimer Research concluded that dance interventions improved cognitive function in dementia patients.
On October 29th 2022 Hustle for Health Programs participated in a "Brain Health" workshop presented by University of Rochester Neurology to help community members understand the importance of exercise and how it correlates to a healthy brain.
To learn more about the brain structures/functions and how to keep yours happy and healthy, download the free UR Neurology resource book filled tips, recipes and simple ways to exercise at home.
MOVEment leaders Jazzy T and Tynell Stewart led the group in a breathing exercise, affirmation and 30-minute cardio routine followed by a group discussion with Charles White, URMC Community Liaison, Christine Annis, URMC NeuroNEXT Site Coordinator
Katie Webster, and a URMC Nurse Practitioner in neurology.