Physical Activity Boosts Brain Health

"Regular physical activity is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. Not only is it good for your muscles and bones, it can keep your brain healthy, too.

Physical activity can improve your cognitive health—helping you think, learn, problem-solve, and enjoy an emotional balance. It can improve memory and reduce anxiety or depression. But you don’t have to be a fitness guru to reap the benefits. Any amount of physical activity can help. No matter your age or fitness level, physical activity can help improve sleep, brain health, and quality of life.

Regular physical activity can also reduce your risk of cognitive decline, including dementia. One studyexternal icon found that cognitive decline is almost twice as common among adults who are inactive compared to those who are active.

Most adults should get at least 150 minutes of moderate intensity  physical activity weekly. This can be broken into 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. In addition to improving brain health, following these recommendations for physical activity can help you sleep and feel better, lose weight, reduce your risk of 20 chronic health conditions including heart disease and some cancers, and add years to your life.

What You Can Do

Healthy older adults can have cognitive decline. Learn about the important health benefits of physical activity for healthy aging.

Being active is easier than you may think. It doesn’t have to happen in one stretch. You can break up your activity across the week, and some activity is better than none. Here are four activities you can add to your daily routine to help become a healthier you:

1. Dance.
   Turn up the music at home and dance. Twisting and turning will burn calories without even feeling like exercise.
2. Be physically active while watching TV.
   Look for ways to reduce sedentary time and increase active time. For example, keep a list of quick activities, like squats or marching in place, near the remote so that you can be active during commercial breaks.
3. Add physical activity into your daily routine.
   Walking is a good way to start being active. When shopping for essential items, increase your activity by parking at the back of the parking lot and walking to the shop. Use the stairs instead of the elevator or get off transit one stop sooner.
4. Walk the dog.
   Dogs are great walking companions and can help you have an active lifestyle. One studyexternal icon found that dog owners on average walk 22 minutes more every day compared to people who don’t own a dog..."
   Brain health 

Keep on Your Feet—Preventing Older Adult Falls

"Falls are common and costly, especially among Americans age 65 and older. But falls are preventable and do not have to be an inevitable part of aging.

Every second of every day, an older adult (age 65+) suffers a fall in the U.S.—making falls the leading cause of injury and injury death in this age group. One out of four older adults will fall each year in the United States, making falls a public health concern, particularly among the aging population.

Facts About Older Adult Falls

• About 36 million older adults fall each year—resulting in more than 32,000 deaths.
• Each year, about 3 million older adults are treated in emergency departments for a fall injury.
• One out of every five falls causes an injury, such as broken bones or a head injury.
• Each year at least 300,000 older people are hospitalized for hip fractures.
• More than 95% of hip fracturesexternal icon are caused by falling—usually by falling sideways.
• Women fall more often than men and account for three-quarters of all hip fractures.

What You Can Do

Falls are not a normal part of aging. You can keep on your feet and avoid the risk of a fall. Take steps to stay safe and independent longer. Learn what you can do to reduce your chances of falling pdf icon[PDF – 2,367 KB].

A great first step is reading CDC’s Stay Independent brochure pdf icon[PDF – 1,769 KB]. Complete the questionnaire, if you score four or more points, you may be at higher risk for falling.
Older adult falls 

Caregivers

"Caregiving

 Helping Alzheimer’s Caregivers
Caring for a person with Alzheimer’s disease or related dementias can be challenging. People with dementias may stop recognizing the person who is caring for them, can have trouble sharing their desires and feelings, and may become completely dependent upon their caregiver for daily activities such as eating, using the restroom, and bathing.

Emergency Preparedness for Older Adults
You or the person you care for can be prepared for emergency situations by creating a plan, reviewing or practicing it regularly, and keeping an emergency supply kit.

Care Plans Help Both Older Adults and Caregivers
Caregivers are often family members or friends of a person who is in need of care. Caregivers may manage everything from medications and getting dressed in the morning to doctor appointments, social events, and meals..."
Caregivers

Keep on Your Feet—Preventing Older Adult Falls

"Falls are common and costly, especially among Americans age 65 and older. But falls are preventable and do not have to be an inevitable part of aging.

Every second of every day, an older adult (age 65+) suffers a fall in the U.S.—making falls the leading cause of injury and injury death in this age group. One out of four older adults will fall each year in the United States, making falls a public health concern, particularly among the aging population.

Facts About Older Adult Falls

• Thirty million older adults fall each year—resulting in about 30,000 deaths.
• Each year, 3 million older adultsexternal icon are treated for a fall injury.
• One out of every five fallsexternal icon causes a serious injury, such as broken bones or a head injury.
• Each year at least 300,000 older people are hospitalized for hip fractures.
• More than 95% of hip fracturesexternal icon are caused by falling—usually by falling sideways.
• Women fall more often than men and account for three-quarters of all hip fractures..."
  Older Adult falls

Older adult falls

"Join us this year on September 22, 2018—Falls Prevention Awareness Day (FPAD)—as CDC joins with the National Council on Aging (NCOA) to increase awareness and to help spread the word about how to prevent fall-related injuries and deaths. FPAD is a great opportunity to share information about resources and strategies and how to prevent falls throughout the year.

Falls are Common

More than one in four older adults fall each year. With more than 10,000 Americans turning 65 each day, falls are a growing and significant public health problem. One of the major risk factors for falls is medications that may change the way a person feels or thinks due to side effects. Because four out of every five older adults take at least one prescription medication daily, and more than one third take five or more each day, this common risk factor for falling demands attention.."
Older adult falls

Epilepsy and Seizures in Older Adults

"Did you know that epilepsy is more likely to develop in older adults? Seizures can be easy to miss. Learn how to recognize the signs and how you can help.

Epilepsy is brain disorder that causes repeated seizures. About 3 million US adults aged 18 years or older have active epilepsy.¹  Nearly 1 million of those adults are aged 55 or older.¹ As our population ages, there will be even more older people with epilepsy in the coming years.

Epilepsy is more likely to develop in older adults because risk factors for epilepsy are more common as people age:

• Strokes.
• Head injuries.
• Neurodegenerative disorders (such as Alzheimer’s disease).
• Alcoholism and other substance abuse.
• Brain tumors..".

Eiplepsy and older adults

Physical Activity for Older Adults

"Are you an older adult looking for ways to exercise in a safe environment? Participating in group exercise programs can help older adults remain physically active.

For adults over 65 years old, exercise helps maintain healthy and longer lives and can prevent many health problems that come with age such as heart disease, diabetes, and arthritis.

Issues such as traffic, adequate lighting and weather can get in the way of being active and, therefore, indoor exercise classes are one way to be active. It's suggested that adults over 65 should get at least 2 hours and 30 minutes of moderate level activity per week , such as brisk walking..."
Older Adults

Epilepsy and Seizures in Older Adults

"Epilepsy is a broad term used for a brain disorder that causes seizures. In the United States, 2.4 million adults aged 18 years or older have active epilepsy.^1,2 About 1% of adults 65 years of age and older have active epilepsy, which is about 447,000 people.^1,2 That's about the size of Corpus Christi, TX.

With the aging of the population, we can expect to see greater numbers of people with epilepsy.

Epilepsy is more likely to develop in older adults rather than younger adults because as people age, the risk of seizures and epilepsy rises.^3,4 Some older adults may have lived with epilepsy throughout their lives, but others might develop epilepsy later in life. It isn't always easy to tell when you, a friend or family member, or a patient develops epilepsy later in life..."
Epilepsy