Fight 'Senior Moments' With Exercise
Benefit may stem from activity's ability to keep blood-sugar levels down

(HealthDay News) -- As people age, brain lapses are sometimes laughed off as "senior moments."

But experts have discovered something that contributes to age-related cognitive decline -- something that can, in fact, be controlled.

The culprit: Rising blood glucose levels.

Researchers found that the increase in blood-sugar levels are a normal part of aging, but it has an impact on the hippocampus, a part of the brain that is key to learning and memory.

"This would suggest that anything to improve regulation of blood glucose would potentially be a way to ameliorate age-related memory decline," the study's senior author, Dr. Scott Small, an associate professor of neurology at the Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain at Columbia University Medical Center in New York City, told HealthDay.

The solution to the problem, it seems, is easy and has numerous benefits as side effects: exercise.

Experts have known that people who exercise don't have as many cognitive problems as they age, but Small's research helps explain the link.

"We had previously shown that physical exercise strengthens a part of the brain involved with aging but, at the time, we didn't know why physical exercise would have this selective benefit," Small said. "Now we have a proposed mechanism. We think it's because subjects who exercised had better glucose handling."

Being more active benefits people of all ages. But if you're older, the U.S. National Institute on Aging has some tips for making physical activity part of your life:

• Make it a priority. Include physical activities throughout the day. Try being active first thing in the morning, before you get busy.
• Make it easy. Put two-pound weights next to your favorite chair so you can do some lifting while watching TV. Or, walk up and down the soccer field during a grandchild's game.
• Make it social. Enlist a friend or family member. Many who already exercise agree that having an exercise buddy keeps them going. Take a yoga class with a neighbor. And if you don't have an exercise partner, find one by joining a walking club at a local mall or an exercise class at a senior center. Or, take a walk during lunch with a co-worker.
• Make it fun. Do things you enjoy and pick up the pace a bit. If you love the outdoors, try biking, fishing, jogging or hiking. Listen to music or a book on CD while walking, gardening or raking. Plan a hiking trip at a nearby park.
• Seize opportunities. Choose to be active in many places and many ways. When you unload the groceries, for instance, strengthen your arms by lifting the milk carton or a one-pound can a few times before you put it away. When you go shopping, build your endurance by parking the car at the far end of the parking lot and walking briskly to the store. Or, get off the bus one or two stops earlier than usual.

On the Web

To learn more about exercise for older adults, visit the U.S. National Institute on Aging.

SOURCES: HealthDay News; Scott Small, M.D., associate professor, neurology, Sergievsky Center and Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease and the Aging Brain, Columbia University Medical Center, New York City; December 2008, Annals of Neurology; U.S. National Institute on Aging (www.nia.nih.gov)
Author: Dennis Thompson
Publication Date: Jan. 31, 2010
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