Quincy − Research suggests that physically active
individuals may have a lower dementia risk in general, and
Alzheimer’s disease in specific. It is not well-understood
whether this preventive aspect is a direct effect of
exercise or a result of other factors related to exercise,
such as lower blood pressure or better blood lipid levels.
But what about the person exhibiting early signs? Is it too
late to exercise, or is there any advantage in doing so?
Because I am not a medical doctor, and have not seen any
studies that specifically address this issue, I cannot
provide a definitive answer. However, I would like to share
my observations and experience.
When my father was 78
years old he started a strength training program to
supplement walking and gardening. He responded extremely
well to the strength exercise and enjoyed robust health
until he turned 87, when it became apparent that he was
experiencing the initial stages of Alzheimer’s disease. We
decided to continue his regular exercise program with hope
that this would slow the standard progression of this
illness. I believe we made the right decision for many
reasons.
First, compared with essentially all of the other Alzheimer
patients I have encountered, my father’s rate of mental and
physical decline has been relatively slow. Although he is
now nearly 97, we typically do Nautilus training exercises
together every Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoon.
Second, he appears to enjoy doing the exercises with me
coaching him. Perhaps his positive attitude and physical
responsiveness are due to the fact that it feels good to
exercise. Perhaps it is simply the experience of doing
something other than sitting in a chair. Perhaps it is the
social aspect of being with a familiar person, in a familiar
environment (the YMCA fitness research room), using familiar
exercise equipment (Nautilus machines).
Third, coaching my father through an exercise session is
much more encouraging for me than sitting next to him
without being able to communicate effectively. Sitting
together without meaningful conversation makes time pass
slowly, but exercising together with a common purpose of
talking him through his weight training sets makes time pass
quickly.
There is a shared objective in our strength training
sessions that my father cannot articulate, but definitely
appears to appreciate. We both take much satisfaction in
completing his 15-minute weight workouts, as well as the
walking segments before and after the Nautilus exercise
sessions.
There is something to be said for being physically strong.
People always remark how strong my father is and how young
he looks for his age. He handles some pretty heavy weight
loads, which makes it even more impressive to observe his
workouts. There is still something, strength training, that
he can do surprisingly well, and the resulting physical
benefits are definitely reinforcing.
Recommended Strength Exercises
I
try to train my father the same way I train everyone else,
namely, one set of 8 to 12 controlled repetitions, using 5
to 10 different exercises that cumulatively address most of
the major muscle groups. Over the past few years we have
reduced the number of exercises from 10 Nautilus machines to
five. These are performed in the following order:
1. Leg
extensions to strengthen the front thigh muscles used in
getting up and down and moving around.
2. Leg
curls to strengthen the rear thigh muscles also used in
getting up and down and moving around.
3.
Incline presses to strengthen the muscles of the shoulders
and rear arms used in maintaining good posture and pushing
off chair armrests when rising from sitting to standing.
4.
Seated rows to strengthen the muscles of the lower back,
upper back and front arms used in maintaining good posture
and performing daily tasks such as eating and drinking.
5.
Seated dips to strengthen the muscles of the chest and rear
arms used in pushing off chair armrests when rising from
sitting to standing and for pushing a walker.
These five machines provide effective strength exercise for
the major muscle groups and present a manageable training
duration of approximately 15 minutes. While strength
training cannot cure the debilitating disease, I have found
it to be an excellent physical activity for maintaining a
higher level of physical ability and functional ability in
Alzheimer’s patients. |
