Blog
05 Dec Add the enjoyment of swimming to your life
I was starting to get a bit bored with swimming lengths for exercise, until I ran across Greg Whyte’s book * at the local public library. Oh, sure, I knew swimming is good for body and mind. Physically, it exercises muscles, heart, and lungs, and gets the blood flowing which is good for the brain. Mentally, swimming helps reduce anxiety, improve mood, and increase self-confidence. It also gives us time to clear our minds, and focus on what really matters to us. But knowing swimming is good for us might not keep us motivated over the long term.05 Dec Are You Socially Engaged?
We humans are social beings. Even the introverts among us benefit from regular contact with people we know. And therein lies the key to aging well – socially engaging with people we know. On top of that, we need to be meaningfully and purposefully occupied as part of the schedule of our days, weeks, and months. The good news is that these two needs can work well together – engaging socially in meaningful and purposeful occupation on a regular basis. They can also operate separately, as Samuel Johnson pointed out.05 Dec Five ways to reduce the risk of dementia – aging well through better brain health
People fear dementia* much more than physical disability as they age. The thought of our mental faculties failing us is deeply disturbing, but in many cases we can reduce the risk, and delay or slow the development, of cognitive impairment.1. Be physically active
Moderate aerobic exercise at least four times a week – e.g. going for a brisk walk, swimming, dancing, gardening – helps to improve circulation, which brings more blood and oxygen to the brain. Nearly one quarter of the blood and oxygen from every beat of your heart is meant for your brain. You don’t have to go to extremes – just enough to increase your breathing and heart rate to a moderate level. Aerobic exercise also helps reduce the risk of anxiety and depression.