Do you want to live longer? Of course you do. Who doesn't? I'm going to surprise you with an easy and effective way to increase your life span. And this method requires no special exercise equipment, no gym membership and not even any special diet. The only thing you need is a book!
Yes, you read that right---a book can be your key to both a longer and more fulfilling life.
In a 2016 study published by the Yale School of Public Health, it was reported that people over the age of 50 who read any type of book for as little as 30 minutes a day could increase their lifespan on average by two years. The study was based on some 12 years of data originally compiled by the University of Michigan's Health and Retirement Study.
It should be emphasized that while reading any type of book is effective, simply reading magazines and newspapers does not appear to have the same effect. Although researchers are not sure why that is the case, one theory is that reading a book causes you to think critically and make more brain connections that can protect against cognitive decline. They referred to this effect as "deep reading."
So, if you want to live longer, get out your library card and head to your nearest library.
Showing posts with label cognitive decline. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cognitive decline. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 29, 2017
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Good News: Exercise Can Prevent Dementia!
All boomers and even those who are not yet boomers worry at times about the potential for cognitive decline or dementia. The good news is that neither is inevitable. The magic bullet to avoid those dreaded aspects of aging: good old-fashioned aerobic exercise.
A number of recent studies have shown that while brain volume shrinks as we age, exercise can reduce the amount of shrinkage and actually produce new neurons in the brain. In one of those studies at the Cooper Institute in Dallas, Texas, the researchers followed over 19,000 adults for some 24 years to determine if exercise could prevent dementia and even Alzheimer's. The good news is that those persons who were the most fit had the least amount of dementia.
The studies show that the most beneficial form of exercise is aerobic, such as walking, running, cycling and swimming. Most importantly, the studies have shown that it is never too late to start exercising. Whichever form of exercise you choose, it is important that you keep at it consistently. Optimally about 2 and one half hours of aerobic activity per week is enough to keep those neurons growing..
Source: AARP Bulletin, September 2013, p.12.
A number of recent studies have shown that while brain volume shrinks as we age, exercise can reduce the amount of shrinkage and actually produce new neurons in the brain. In one of those studies at the Cooper Institute in Dallas, Texas, the researchers followed over 19,000 adults for some 24 years to determine if exercise could prevent dementia and even Alzheimer's. The good news is that those persons who were the most fit had the least amount of dementia.
The studies show that the most beneficial form of exercise is aerobic, such as walking, running, cycling and swimming. Most importantly, the studies have shown that it is never too late to start exercising. Whichever form of exercise you choose, it is important that you keep at it consistently. Optimally about 2 and one half hours of aerobic activity per week is enough to keep those neurons growing..
Source: AARP Bulletin, September 2013, p.12.
Subscribe to:
Posts
(
Atom
)