Keep Your Brain Fit through Play!
Most people focus on exercise for the body – which is one of the key ingredients for us to age in a healthy way. Do you know that we also need to exercise our brains in ways that go beyond crossword puzzles?
According to the Center for Disease Control, there are about 5.8 million people in the United States who have Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. This includes 5.6 million aged 65 and older and about 200,000 under age 65 with younger-onset Alzheimer’s.* While it’s still not known exactly what causes dementia, eating a Mediterrean diet, and regular exercise are at the top of the Harvard Health Publishing list.
With that said, welcome to fun, Anti-Aging Exercises that Almost Anyone – of Any Age – Can Do!
The 21 Tools of Ageless Grace® address primary factors that causes aging in the body — and stimulate and utilize the five major functions of the brain – analytical, strategic, kinesthetic learning, memory/recall and creativity and imagination.
Think about when you first learned to ride a bicycle or swim. Functional and cognitive skills were developed through typical childhood games, sports and activities that are now no longer “practiced” as adults. The 21 Tools of Ageless Grace® re-open those pathways and, equally important, create new pathways by practicing functional movements we don’t already know how to do.
Practicing, remembering and learning these simple skills allow positive results to come surprisingly quickly – much like remembering how to ride a bicycle after many years.
Ageless Grace® is designed to be practiced only minutes a day. The movement moves are organic rather than choreographed with focus on moving the body to stimulate both cognitive and physical function simultaneously – enhancing neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain and nervous system to change structurally and functionally), which is vital to active aging and youthful function.
The Tools are practiced in a chair to strengthen the core of the body and stimulate vital organs. Chair practice opens the opportunity to seniors, baby boomers, young adults and people with weight, joint, diabetes and other challenges, those in wheelchairs or with other physical limitations. Kids absolutely love it! This is a wonderful multigenerational program for grandparents, adult children and grandchildren to share.
Ageless Grace® was created by Denise Medved, who spent 7 years with a Duke–affiliated hospital and a university graduate department to develop this creative approach to aging.
Try an online class now with Teresa D’Angelo, Ageless Grace Educator and Trainer at www.live-love-move.com and send your brain to the gym!
Sources:
* https://www.cdc.gov/aging/publications/features/Alz-Greater-Risk.html
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