How to keep from losing your mind

Even though this event was aimed at helping senior citizens improve their health, you’ll be astounded to learn how anyone can keep their mind sharp ‚Ä¶

Showing off her hand-painted porcelain bowl at the Senior Wellness Symposium and Art Exhibit is CherryWood resident Fedalma Ruhl. She has lived there five years.

Story and photos by David F. Ashton
It was a day dedicated to health and happiness for our older citizens, May 24th at CherryWood Village.

“We’re having our 2006 Senior Wellness Symposium and Art Exhibit,” CherryWood’s wellness director, Mindy Baker, explained. “We have two main lectures, an art show, a cooking demonstration, health screenings, and refreshments for everyone.”

Baker said the facility provides this event to the community ‚Äì as well as to their residents ‚Äì to promote senior health and wellness. And they hold it on this particular date, because it’s National Senior and Health and Fitness Day.

Sherrie Evenson, Adventist Medical Center, tells CherryWood Village seniors how physical exercise can keep their minds sharp.

Exercise promotes mental wellness
We stopped in to listen to a lecture by Sherrie Evenson, of Adventist Medical Center.

“We’re talking about the relationship between exercise and dementia in older people.

It has become very clear to all researchers who have studied this: Exercise can slow the onset of dementia. Even more, physical exercise can slow the acceleration of dementia once you have it.”

More than cognitive functioning alone, Evenson said one’s ability to think clearly and remember things also improves. “Most people think of dementia as Alzheimer’s disease ‚Äì but that is just one type of dementia.”

One doesn’t have to spend their life in a gym working out to get the benefits of exercise, Evenson said. “Even a small amount of activity can help a lot. It seems that aerobic exercise has been the most beneficial in regard to improving cognitive skills. From ten to forty-five minutes a day is all it takes to help keep your mind sharp, and your body healthy.”

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