There are few things more horrible than watching a loved one die of Alzheimer’s. Each day they lose more of themselves.
Not only does the disease destroy their memory and intelligence, but it wipes out their personality. It takes away the very essence of who they are.
Alzheimer’s can run in families. So while watching a blood relative sink into the abyss of the disease, you can’t help but wonder if you’re seeing your own future.
What can you do to escape this terrible destiny?
Mainstream medicine has no answers.
Big Pharma’s Alzheimer’s drugs do nothing to prevent the disease. In fact, they don’t change the course of the illness or even slow it down. All they do is reduce some of the symptoms. And they are not even very good at that.
Doctors don’t even know what causes Alzheimer’s, much less how to prevent it.
But new research provides hope.
The study was published in the journal Brain Plasticity. Researchers looked at 23 adults with a family history of or a genetic risk for developing Alzheimer’s. None of the subjects were active.[i]
Scientists randomly assigned half of them to get information about maintaining an active lifestyle. This was the control group. The other half ran on treadmills at moderate intensity three times a week.
All the participants took fitness, brain, and cognitive tests at the start and end of the trial.
After 26 weeks, the exercise group not only had better cardio fitness, but they performed better on cognitive tests of “executive function.” That’s the set of mental skills you need to plan and organize tasks. Alzheimer’s often robs patients of executive function, making it impossible for them to live independently.
Dr. Ozioma C. Okonkwo was the lead investigator. He said the study shows that “regular aerobic exercise can potentially enhance brain and cognitive functions” that are especially sensitive to Alzheimer’s. And the findings are particularly relevant for people with a family history of the disease.[ii]
The Best Kind of Aerobic Exercise
The good news is that aerobic exercise doesn’t have to take long.
High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is a great way to get a great workout in less than 20 minutes a day.
HIIT works better than steady-state cardio like jogging or biking to improve heart strength, circulation, lung capacity, and overall fitness. And it takes just a fraction of the time.
HIIT is adaptable to many activities. You can run, cycle, swim, do calisthenics, or use a rowing, stair climber, or elliptical machine.
Warm up for three to five minutes doing your chosen form of exercise slowly.
Then do the exercise at the highest intensity you can for the next minute.
Slow down for a minute or two to catch your breath. Then go hard again for another minute.
Repeat this process five to seven times. Afterward, do the activity slowly for at least two minutes to cool down.
The idea is to push your body for a brief burst, and then allow it to recover.
There are plenty of reasons to exercise. Avoiding Alzheimer’s may be the most important one.
Editor’s Note: If you’re concerned about preserving your memory as you age, you should read our Memory-for-Life Protocol. It tells you how to use the power of neurogenesis to keep your brain youthful and strong for the rest of your life. It’s in Independent Healing, our monthly newsletter. IH deciphers the latest science to bring you unbiased medical information that can transform your health. Find out more HERE.
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[i]https://www.iospress.nl/journal/brain-plasticity/
[ii]https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-02/ip-aet020220.php