Loss weight, improve balance, smile.....
I wrote previously about the importance of exercise to help ward off Alzheimer's, dementia, heart disease, diabetes, and high LDL cholestrol.
This time I am going to address a great form of exercise and marry this to improving balance.
My mother Dorothy, now 93 years old, suffers from Alzheimer's disease. When I first moved to Delray Beach to take care of her, six years ago, she was falling down all the time. Shortly after I came on the scene she fell and broke her finger.
I am proud to say, my mother has not fallen once in almost six years. She is not on a walker, even though most people tell me she should be, and she lost about 18 pounds over the same time frame.
The first thing I did was take my mother into a gym and put her on a treadmill. This solved her balance and falling problem literally over night.
Now, I am going to show you an even better way to improve balance, exercise, and lose weight.
Check out Nintendo Wii.
You'll notice you don't actually need a hula hoop. You just mimic the movement. In the case of my mother, I would have her hold on to a high backed chair. The combination of the music and video turns this into a game -- and lots of fun.
If you are younger, you can increase both the intensity and difficulty of the workout. If you try hula hooping you will want to get your heart rate up if you intend to lose weight and get the exercise benefit.
Hula hooping is a terrific core exercise. You'll get tight in the middle fast.
If you don't have Wii, you can still do this exercise. Just turn on the music and start shaking it.
I really need to find someone to help me make a video of my mother doing this. If I can do it, you will lose a couple of ounces laughing and smiling -- two more things that help ward off Alzheimer's disease.
Check out Nintendo Wii.
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Original content Bob DeMarco, Alzheimer's Reading RoomBob DeMarco is the editor of the Alzheimer's Reading Room and an Alzheimer's caregiver. The Alzheimer's Reading Room is the number one website on the Internet for news, advice, and insight into Alzheimer's disease. Bob has written more than 950 articles with more than 8,000 links on the Internet. Bob resides in Delray Beach, FL.
