Archive for the ‘Senior Health’ Category

Discover How Brain Fitness Exercizes Work

Monday, April 5th, 2010

By: Michael Logan

It turns out that brain fitness exercises work in at least three ways, depending on the kind of exercise we are doing, a thinking exercise or a physical exercise, or a computerized training.

Exercize could mean running or lifting weights or practicing one of the new brain exercise programs or monitoring and changing cognitions, which is what Dr. Judith Beck has shown to be effective in her diet solution plan.

The physical exercise of running or lifting weights encourages neurogenesis, or the growth of new brain cells.

The cognitive behavioral exerises that Dr. Beck used have been shown to reduce activation in the fear center of the brain, called the amydala.

Her work was done using fMRI or functional magetic resonance imaging to observe differing levels of activation in folks suffering from a spider phobia.

The activation in the amygdala after a regimen of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy or CBT was much reduced.

In other words, folks did not experience as intense a fear response to spiders as they had prior to the CBT training

The computerized brain fitness programs have been shown, depending on which research you are looking at,to improve memory and processing speed in Senior Citizens (IMPACT study) and IQ in folks using a different program.

Another program has been endorsed by educators, and another adopted by a major university basketball team, with their team in the NCAA final four last year.

The work of Buschkall and Jaegge using the dual n back task has indicated that IQ can be improved, and that there may be no upper limit to what can be done in that regard. More training increases your scores.

Of course, high IQ does not translate into fame and fortune, or even successful relationships. Just a cautionary note for the needy.

Physical exercise has an excellent positive impact on the brain.

Since the brain is the organ which needs the most food and blood, any exercise which increases blood flow will have a positive impact on the brain.

Recently I read that exercise is the best antidote that exists to the issue of insulin resistance, a precursor of diabetes.

That is just one of a plethora of benefits that lifting weights or running or walking will have on your brain.

Just to remind everyone that the current recommendations state that you either engage in: a) 30 minutes/day of moderate intensity 5 or more days of the week; or b) 30 minutes per day of high intensity interval training for at least three days of the week.

A general guideling that people can adhere to is that moderate exercise can get you breathing heavy enough that you can still talk but not sing. High intensity would make a conversation a little difficult.

I have been trying out some HIIT workouts at home, using home made tools, except for an exercise ball, and they do make you breathless, but are not complicated. If you can walk up and down stairs, do push-ups, and or crunches, or walk in your neighborhood, you will be able to take advantage of the benefits of physical exercise, including increased neurogenesis, or the growth of new brain cells.

Hopefully you are encouraged to work at whatever level you are comfortable with in order to benefit your brain with physical exercise or cognitive exercise or computerized brain fitness exercises.

About the Author

Michael S. Logan is a brain fitness expert, a counselor, a student of Chi Gong, and licensed one on one HeartMath provider. I enjoy the spiritual, the mythological, and psychological, and I am a late life father to Shane, 10, and Hannah Marie, 4, whose brains are so amazing. http://www.askmikethecounselor2.com

(ArticlesBase SC #833750)

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/ – Discover How Brain Fitness Exercizes Work

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Types of AMD

Monday, April 5th, 2010

By: Dan Brown

The two important types of age related macular degeneration are wet AMD and dry AMD. The forms can attack any one or both of the eyes. A patient diagnosed for dry AMD can later develop wet AMD.

Wet AMD: This type of age-related macular degeneration is caused by the abnormal growth of blood vessels behind the retina. This happens when the membrane underlying the retina breaks and disrupts the oxygen supply to the macula. The new blood vessels, which are very delicate, grow under the macula and often rupture easily leaking fluids and blood. This leaking alters the position of macula and causes scarring. Wet AMD occurs suddenly resulting in the loss of central vision.

Distorted vision and straight line appearing wavy are the initial symptoms of wet AMD. This is the most severe form of AMD and immediate professional advice should be taken.

Of all age-related macular degeneration cases, only 10% is due to wet AMD but it causes the maximum damage and can lead to blindness. If detected early, laser treatment can be effective in stopping the leak of the blood vessels causing wet AMD.

Dry AMD: Macula is made of light-sensitive cells and the breaking down of these cells leads to dry AMD. This type of age-related macular degeneration appears slowly and leads to the blurring of central vision. Of the two types, dry AMD occurs most commonly and is also known as atrophic AMD as it is caused by the death of the cells in macula.

Symptoms include slightly blurred vision, unable to recognize faces, unable to do simple tasks such as reading in normal light and require more light. An early sign of dry AMD is the yellow deposits, known as drusen, under the retina which can only be recognized by an ophthalmologist during an eye exam. Increase in size and number of drusen worsens dry AMD. Thinning of the macula is another symptom.

In the initial stages, dry AMD will go unrecognized as it can only be found by a detailed examination. Most people realize dry AMD during a later stage, when they need more light to do simple day-to-day activities like reading. A blurred spot in the center of vision is also seen by some people. It is wise to take professional advice during this stage.

In the advanced stage their will be a total breakup in vision with only peripheral vision seen clearly. This is mainly due to the increase in the size and number of drusen. Patients also lose color perception and recognizing faces becomes difficult in this stage. One of the major problems with dry AMD is that it impairs a single eye and since the other eye functions smoothly the problem goes unnoticed. Most people recognize the problem only when both of the eyes are affected.

Taking an active role in eye protection is very much necessary. While having an appointment with an ophthalmologist, clear all your doubts. The amount of literature available on eye diseases is huge and most of them can be downloaded from the Internet. Talk to your friends and relatives about your condition, they might offer helpful tips.

About the Author

Dan recommends visiting an easy to use search directory for Contact Lenses. Free expert vision information and advice is available.

(ArticlesBase SC #32955)

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Top 10 Video Games Improving Seniors Health – Great Gift Idea

Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

If you think that video games are for lazy teenagers or adult couch potatoes only, think again. Once you start reaching your ‘golden’ age or if you are way past your 60s and 70s, your heart, body and mind can use the adrenaline rush brought about by the modern gaming devices which are available today.

Why Video Games Aren’t Just For Kids Anymore?

So what exactly are the benefits that grandma and grandpa can get from playing Wii, online games, PlayStation 2 or similar gaming devices? There’s actually a lot more to video gaming than you may actually think.

A good number of studies in the past have shown that playing video games has many positive benefits to senior health. For young people, one of the benefits of playing video games is to sharpen their problem-solving abilities. Video games are even known to improve the skills of a surgeon in the operating table.

Now, to give you an idea about the health benefits that older people will enjoy, take a look at the following list:

1. According to the Psychology and Aging magazine, playing complex video games after receiving training may improve the cognitive functions of seniors. This is one the functions which typically decline with age.

2.  Aside from improving their cognitive functions, video games which require seniors to juggle multiple tasks may also improve their ability to perform some other everyday tasks in the ‘real world’.

3.  Researches done in the past also indicated that video games such as the ones provided by Nintendo and Wii can be successfully used to doctor seniors with Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and other illnesses of a psychological or psychosocial nature.

4. Preliminary studies have shown that strategy video games may help older adults in keeping their brains razor sharp.

Since you will be playing with the aid of a joystick, video games can help improve your eye-hand coordination.
To sum it all up, what video games do is keep an aging brain young – which is why they bring forth a multitude of benefits for a senior’s overall health. And with the introduction of Wii fitness-themed games, who says that they can’t enjoy the physical benefits of video games as well?

Top 10 Video Games to Improve Senior Health

After learning about the benefits of using video games to improve senior health, which games should you borrow from your grand kids? Here are the top 10 video games which help improve senior health:

1.   Brain Age and Brain Age2

This is a video game developed by Nintendo DS, which has already spawned a sequel: Brain Age2. Both the original and the sequel video games are inspired by the work of Japanese neuroscientist Dr. Ryuta Kawashima.  Basically, what the Brain Age video game will assist you with is stimulating your brain by giving it the workout that it needs with activities like solving simple math problems, currency counting, drawing pictures or unscrambling letters.  As indicated in their website, the activities in the Brain Age2 video game will increase the blood flow to your prefrontal cortex. [Poor Blood Circulation]

2. BrainBashers.com

BrainBashers.com is actually a website which was started in 1997 by Kevin Stone, BSC. The site has a great collection of logic game, brain teasers, riddles, puzzles, games and optical illusions.  The good thing about BrainBashers is that five new puzzles are added every other week, so you will have some new brain-exerciser games to look forward to. [Brain Strengthening Exercises]  The benefit of visiting sites like these is that your mental acuity will be sharpened because of the sheer number of activities that your brain can be engaged in.

3.  Wii Golf

If, for one reason or another, you have decided to quit playing golf – you can still have a go at it with the help of a video game like the Nintendo Wii Golf.  You can enjoy it as part of the Wii Sports collection which includes a series of five sports simulations: tennis, baseball, golf, bowling and boxing. So, how exactly will the Wii Golf help seniors have a pretty good workout – with the help of a video game console? [Balance Exercises For Seniors]  The Wii Remote is the key. What it does is mimic the actions performed in real life sports.  Let’s say that you have swung the Wii Remote which you will be using as a golf club, its mechanism will detect how strong or how gentle your golf swing is, and the results will be seen on the screen.

4.  Dancing with the Stars

Whether or not you’re a fan of the show that the video game is based on, you will have a blast playing the “Dancing with the Stars” video game. Released in October 2007, the game has PC and online versions, and is also available in Wii, PC, mobile and PlayStation 2 platforms.  If you will get the PlayStation 2 or Wii formats of the game, that is when you will have the best time exercising because it comes with the dance pad. Basically, you will enjoy a physical workout while playing a video game at the same time.

5.  Tetris

Whether it’s a game installed on your mobile phone, your computer or a gaming console, the classic blocks game of Tetris will provide a lot of benefits for you as a senior.  When you use the arrow keys on your keyboard to play the game and you’re at an advanced level, your quick thinking skills will be sharpened. Hand-eye coordination and logical thinking are the other benefits that you will get from playing this game.

6.   NASCAR 09

Bring out the risk-taking race car driver in you with the NASCAR 09 video game. It comes in the following formats: PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. If you’re not into race car driving, you can try the other driving and flying video games, which will keep your wits razor sharp.

7.   Guild Wars

This PC game is available in Windows format only, and is developed by ArenaNet. It’s an episodic series of role-playing games on multiplayer online mode.

Guild Wars is in fact popular with both the younger and the older crowd – so you’ll have plenty of youthfulness to keep you company while the game sharpens your wits at the same time.

8.   Pogo.com

If there’s one online video gaming site that is popular with the over-40 crowd, that is none other than Pogo.com. The site is suitable for seniors who are not really into racing, war games or strategic games.

Pogo.com includes a wide array of puzzle games, word games, card games, board games, arcade and sports games that will keep you spending as much hours as your grand kid is spending on the Internet.

9.   Scrabble

Another classic game that will keep your brain razor sharp is scrabble. You can even go one step further and use the fun game to connect with your friends and family – no matter which part of the world they live in.

You can have a game with two to four players, and receive notifications on your e-mail if it is your turn to play.

10.  Grandparent Games

To cap off our list, there’s the aptly named Grandparent Games which allows seniors to connect with their grandchildren through interactive games. If you want to connect with your children’s kids while exercising your brain at the same time, you get free access to the service for 7 days.  There’s a minimal fee to continue, but if you like playing the games, it is definitely worth it.

There you have it – our top 10 list of the best video games that will allow seniors to exercise their brains, their bodies and improve their eye-hand coordination. Whoever said that video games are a waste of time and are only meant for lazy kids and adults, can never be more wrong.
http://scrabble-in-blogosphere.blogspot.com/

My Heart Life    http://www.myheartlife.org/

 

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