University of Pittsburgh study relates exercise and brain health in the elderly

January 3, 11:52 AMPittsburgh Elder Care ExaminerDavid Lindberg

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The University of Pittsburgh, with the University of Illinois has new research that the size of a portion of the brain, called the hippocampus, which is essential to memory, is related to exercise and being physically fit. Evidence shows that the size of the hippocampus shrinks with age but the degree differs for everyone. The hippocampus also gives the brain the ability to store new experiences and its size is directly effected by various activities.

The basic fact is that evidence continuously shows relationship between being physically fit and brain functionality giving us all a strong reason to wake up and realize that we must live productive and active lifestyles to achieve the best possible quality of life.

All of us need to continue to maintain our physical activity in any way we can, throughout our lives and especially as we enter an phase when it can be natural to slow or even stop most activity. Retirement itself, suggests stopping a lifelong struggle that we go through but it is really only stopping one life phase of employment and beginning a new one, of reflection and inner fulfillment. Retirement and becoming a senior citizen should not be a stopping point in our lives, but rather a time when we are given an opportunity to do things that we have not be able to do before.

The main idea is to not stop or slow down our life, but to find new adventures and ideals and put them into action in order to lead productive, healthier and meaningful times.

We see constant evidence that exercise in any form is one of the key ingredients to better health and in the case of this study, how it can give us a better chance of having a healthier brain as we age.

For more information on the study, go to http://www.physorg.com/news154704658.html and also check the Pittsburgh Elder Care Examiner homepage for more elderly resources and information.