Page 206 - The Memory Program How to Prevent Memory Loss and Enhance Memory Power

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older, there is a good chance that you will shift from mixed anaerobic/aerobic to pure aerobic
activity, tennis to golf. Long walks represent very good aerobic exercise, but with the exception of
power walking they do not burn up as many calories as most people think they do.

Exercise Is Important for Your Memory

Perform moderate, regular exercise three to six times per week.
Regulate aerobic and anaerobic exercises to your age, health, and tolerance level.
Aerobic: brisk walking thirty minutes, jogging twenty-five minutes, swimming twenty minutes,
formal exercise programs in aerobics classes.
Mixed aerobic and anaerobic: running, tennis, cycling, exercise equipment (stationary cycle,
StairMaster, treadmill, NordicTrack, newer, low-impact workout machines).
Before you liftweights, start with at least twenty minutes of aerobic or anaerobic cardiovascular
fitness exercise (any of the options listed above).
Yoga and related exercises are excellent for mobility but burn few calories.
Keep a regular routine: don't overexert one week and become a couch potato the next.
Stop if breathing difficulty or palpitations or faintness develops.

Regular physical exercise not only improves your general feeling of well-being and quality of life,
but it also has a positive impact on memory by decreasing the risk of stroke, releasing endorphins,
and possibly stimulating neuronal branching within the brain.

Brain Exercises and Memory Training: Practice Makes Perfect

Exercising the brain can take many forms. It is essential to keep your mind curious, occupied, and
creative. Maintaining an active social life as you grow older is crucial, because it is through
interaction with other people that your intellect stays sharp. Be mentally active, and cultivate your
memory skills to avoid losing them. Several simple strategies, summarized in the table below, can be
used to maintain and even boost your memory skills (see more details in chapter 6). Regularity and
consistency are necessary for these techniques to have any long-term impact.