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Exercise 'keeps the mind sharp' in over-50s, study finds

bbc.co.uk

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Re: Exercise 'keeps the mind sharp' in over-50s, study finds

#241

Post by soundwave106 »

ekianjo wrote: post #199
soundwave106 wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Scholar Google search == scientific evidence (usually :) ). First link from a query of "exercise dementia": "Exercise Is Associated with Reduced Risk for Incident Dementia among Persons 65 Years of Age and Older" ( http://annals.org/aim/article/719427/exercise-associated-red... ) Second link: "The effects of exercise training on elderly persons with cognitive impairment and dementia: A meta-analysis" ( http://www.sci…

> Exercise Is Associated with Reduced Risk for Incident Dementia among Persons 65 Years of Age and Older Correlation is not causation. How many times do we have to repeat that? It could be that folks who are more physically active tend to have healthier habits as well due to their personality/behavior. Let me quote what the study you linked said: > However, the existing evidence does not prove that regular exercise i…

Agreed, but I don't think this changes the conclusion much. Sure, it is very possible that the observed decrease in dementia risk alluded to in these articles is more linked to healthier lifestyles and habits, and the proven benefits of exercise, than being a direct 1:1 link. This really doesn't diminish the importance of exercise and healthier habits, though.

Re: Exercise 'keeps the mind sharp' in over-50s, study finds

#242

Post by omegaham »

trapperkeeper79 wrote: post #161
omegaham wrote: post #82

Earlier quoted context omitted.

My workplace provides a nice gym. I lift during my lunch break.

Shower? For me, that makes the lunch break workout impractical :(

Yes, although it's usually a pretty short shower.

Typically, I do one heavy compound lift per day, mess around while I'm waiting for my coworker to finish running on the treadmill / lifting, and then do some ab exercises with her. We get some coffee from the cafe after that, and I eat my packed lunch at my desk.

Honestly, I really only need the shower on squat and deadlift days; bench and overhead press are comparatively light. I'm mostly in a holding pattern for fitness right now, as I work 12-hour shifts and then go to school full-time during the day. Once I'm not hating my life as much, I'll be able to do fitness that's a little more involved.

Re: Exercise 'keeps the mind sharp' in over-50s, study finds

#243

Post by itchyouch »

stupidhn wrote: post #195
epalmer wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Low carb. Protein, some veggies and lots of fat. Mostly good fat like olive oil. 1 tablespoon of MCT oil a day. Nuts. A little chocolate a couple times a week. Was pre-diabetic and no longer am. My blood chemistry has never been better. Total cholesterol is around 120 and triglycerides are around 70. I do take a statin. I have two doctors that support my diet. One a internist and one a cardiologist. I get up and sit…

> Low carb. Protein, some veggies and lots of fat. Mostly good fat like olive oil. 1 tablespoon of MCT oil a day. Nuts. This is an odd one to me. I'm usually skeptical about claims like those made by the low-carb people... ...but I've tried it, and have excellent results. Anecdata is abundant. I know the science is ambiguous, but I'm a believer. Grats on the new you.

I don't think the science is ambiguous as to why carbs can be problematic.

The problem with carbs isn't that they are necessarily bad, but that the bulk of easily available food is mostly non-fibrous processed carbs, which leads to overeating, reduced nutrient density and less appetite satiety which makes overeating very easy.

Walk to any grocery store and most of any boxed food provide energy as carbs. At 2000 calories a day, that's a ~500g (4cal/g) budget for protein & carbs. 4x nutter butter packages burns through 1k+ calories, which I've seen family member teenagers do while junk fooding it up, then eating multiple 1k+ calorie meals. There's a ridiculous amount of inadvertent overeating that is occurring with the types of convenience foods available today.

Most naturally occurring carbs (rice, fruit, wheat, quinoa) are generally loaded up with fiber which satiate appetite, reduce insulin/sugar spikes, etc. Most people don't eat raw or minimally processed carbs through. It's generally consumed as soda, bread, chips/snacks, etc, + whichever meal is being consumed that day.

The body's metabolic process is pretty straightforward. Sugar is stored as glycogen in muscles & liver. Fat/Lipids are stored as fat in the presence of insulin. Protein is used for tissue regeneration and also converted into sugar through gluconeogenesis. Caloric excess means extraneous fat is stored, with an additional burden placed on the heart to support the additional blood flow to having more "body" (more capillaries), while caloric deficit leads to the consumption of the fat reserves.

People would be healthier in general by merely consuming higher nutrient density foods and staying at a proper caloric maintenance. Weighing food out for a week usually opens people eyes to the portions they are consuming. A serving of cereal seems okay at 120 calories, but in reality, a "bowl" is like 3-4 servings when actually measured out.

Re: Exercise 'keeps the mind sharp' in over-50s, study finds

#244

Post by itchyouch »

beaconstudios wrote: post #26
mtgx wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Looks pretty good. You may want to ease up on eggs if you want to lower cholesterol further. Two eggs seem to be 124% of the recommended daily value: https://www.google.com/search?newwindow=1&q=egg+cholesterol&...

eggs are high in dietary cholesterol, which is not the same as bad cholesterol (LDL). Eggs aren't generally considered to increase LDL levels.

Yep.

High cholesterol foods contributing to high cholesterol is another one of those myths that continue to linger.

Modern research is showing that high cholesterol folk are high because their bodies are producing high amounts of cholesterol, not because they are consuming high amounts of cholesterol.

Re: Exercise 'keeps the mind sharp' in over-50s, study finds

#245

Post by itchyouch »

toomanybeersies wrote: post #228
2845197541 wrote: post #20

On one side of my family retirement for my grandparents meant long days vegetating in front of the television with little dogs to pet. Church on Sundays were really their only time out. This brought dementia by age 80 and a host of other issues and they are on their way out. On the other side my grandfather plays basketball, golfs, runs, reads a book every few days, even drinks at a bar. No dementia. Sharp as a tack.…

As a counterpoint, my (surviving) grandparents have had exactly the same lifestyle since retirement (TV all day) and are in their 80's. My grandmother is relatively fit, looks the same as she did 10 years ago. My grandfather is currently in hospital with his 3rd stroke, dementia, and diabetes. Age just hits some people harder than others.

While genetics plays a large part, I think nutrient density of foods paired with activity is the thing to look at. The body is a big ball of chemical reactions and having limiting reagents in crucial biological processes would be obvious in causing issues.

Re: Exercise 'keeps the mind sharp' in over-50s, study finds

#246

Post by itchyouch »

Mankhool wrote: post #168

As someone who is in his fifties, and just took my first real break from the gym in 40 years (2 months off) I can easily say I don't miss it. I still walk to/from work, which is about a 12km round trip, 5 times a week. And although I have considered never picking up a weight again, I know the benefits of weight bearing exercise and so, sometime this year, will go back to they gym, but less frequently and for a shorte…

People are so very emotionally tied to food they get blinded when it comes to "proper" nutrition. For technical folk, I think if we start phrasing nutrition alongside "limiting chemical reagents" all of a sudden the mind starts thinking about making sure all the proper reagents are available in abundant supply for the body.

Re: Exercise 'keeps the mind sharp' in over-50s, study finds

#247

Post by itchyouch »

readhn wrote: post #167

Can a person overcome lack of exercise by eating healthy? Can a person overcome lack of good nutrition by exercising regularly ? Exercise goes hand in hand with nutrition IMO. People who exercise tend to eat better and healthier foods. If someone did not exercise routinely - they could easily improve their health by eating properly! What is more important? healthy nutrition or regular physical activity or both?! * An…

It's probably around 70-80% nutrition and 20-30% exercise/activity.

Re: Exercise 'keeps the mind sharp' in over-50s, study finds

#248

Post by dv35z »

Woofles wrote: post #192
dv35z wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have mentioned this in previous threads, but here goes: See if there are squash courts in your area. If so, take lessons (commit to 5-10 lessons), and ask the instructor to introduce you to other novice players. The game is exhilerating, easy to learn, low-inpact, high cardio, and has a huge supportive world wide community. In one year, I went from doing no gym / physical activity, to playing squash 3x a week (or m…

I have similar experiences with hockey. It's obviously not as cheap as squash, but most of the pickup in my area is 6:30am or so. The rink is also walkable from my office, so sometimes I bring my skates to work and skate during lunch just to get myself moving. The best part is, it's never too late to start! I took lessons starting at 22, but I was easily the youngest person in the class. Lots of people in their 40s l…

That does sound really fun!

Re: Exercise 'keeps the mind sharp' in over-50s, study finds

#249

Post by dv35z »

Zanta wrote: post #207
dv35z wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have mentioned this in previous threads, but here goes: See if there are squash courts in your area. If so, take lessons (commit to 5-10 lessons), and ask the instructor to introduce you to other novice players. The game is exhilerating, easy to learn, low-inpact, high cardio, and has a huge supportive world wide community. In one year, I went from doing no gym / physical activity, to playing squash 3x a week (or m…

I loved squash through undergrad for exactly those reasons - structured, high intensity, fun, low time commitment. But I couldn't call it low-impact; I don't play today because I found the game had too much stop-and-go and heavy direction changes and it was killing my knees and ankles :(

Maybe I should have said lowER impact (compared to most sports, soccer, etc). I regularly play with some older folks - and they don't move around so much... they make ME do the moving!

Re: Exercise 'keeps the mind sharp' in over-50s, study finds

#250

Post by pizza234 »

eyan wrote: post #58
pizza234 wrote: post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That is not an effective strategy. Decisions are backed by the environment (in a broad sense), so it's important to understand (for the sake of effectiveness) which changes can be done to the environment, to stimulate taking such decision[s].

I was being kind, sir. What I was trying to say is: I don't give a flying raccoon if people want to exercise or not. So yeah. No strategising from me.

Depending on the social structure, problems of individuals may have a socialized cost; if this is the case, also people who don't give a flying raccoon or not, do actually pay for that.
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