February is Heart Awareness Month.  I hope you’ve been having a Happy Heart Month thus far!  In my last post I questioned why so many of us lack the motivation to make healthy choices in our lives.  Exercise seems to be ‘the answer’ for so many of our health issues.  But if it’s not enough of a motivator knowing that exercise helps improve your heart function, perhaps knowing it can improve your memory will be the motivation you need!

It’s generally a given that with age our memories decline; however for some, impaired memory can take its toll earlier than expected.  But there’s hope!  Researchers at the University of British Columbia have found that exercise (both aerobic & strengthening) can help prevent memory loss, in fact even boost it, in relation to mildly impaired memory.  And this is good news since people with mildly impaired memory loss have higher incidences of developing Alzheimer’s Disease.  Check out the New York Times article here.

A local Halifax Geriatrician, Dr. Rockwood is the Director of Geriatric Medicine Research and is an expert in the care of people with dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. He has developed an online company called DementiaGuide Inc. that helps people navigate various aspects of dementia.  It primarily is used for tracking dementia symptoms and there are currently over 6000 users.  Check out Dr. Rockwood’s website to learn more.  And if you or someone you know has been affected by Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia be sure to check back for more resources.  Also mark your calendar for the Alzheimer Society Provincial Conference on November 3rd & 4th at the Dartmouth Harbourview Holiday Inn.

A special thanks to PhysioCare at Home’s Clinical Director, Barbara Adams for her recent presentation at the February 7th CARP sponsored event, ‘Caring for the Alzheimer’s Family’.  It was a great success with over 150 people in attendance.

We’ll keep you posted for more upcoming events.  But for now, Happy Exercising…