Memory Maximizers: Weekly Memory Plan; AD & Exercise
UNCLUTTER YOUR MEMORY WITH A WEEKLY PLAN
Free your mind of clutter and boost your memory by maintaining a weekly plan to help keep you on track. Instead of struggling to recall the minutia of daily life, memory experts recommend jotting down your goals, activities, appointments, and chores for each day of the week. The technique reduces the chances of forgetting an important task, reduces anxiety, and allows you to concentrate on more enjoyable tasks.
For best results, set aside a time each week to draw up your plan. Use a weekly calendar or appointment book with enough space for writing information. Divide items into categories, such as “home,” “social activities,” “medical,” and “shopping.” Check last week’s schedule and carry over any tasks you have not completed. Look over important papers to note letters that must be answered, bills that need to be paid, telephone calls that must be made, and so on. Think of tasks you need to accomplish and projects you want to concentrate on for the week. Keep it simple.
Your weekly plan might include entries such as:
- Appointments and medical reminders
- Chores
- Purchases you need to make
- Social events
- Special dates such as birthdays or anniversaries
- Routine maintenance on your car or home
As new tasks arise, get in the habit of recording them in your weekly plan so that important information will be readily accessible. Cross off items you’ve accomplished to help you keep track of what still needs to be done. At the beginning of each day, consult your weekly plan. In a pocket-sized notebook small enough to carry with you, make a note of that day’s appointments and chores. Jot down what you will need to remember for the day and banish worries about forgetting important tasks.
STUDY: MODERATE—BUT NOT LIGHT—EXERCISE HELPS PREVENT AD
Exercise may help ward off Alzheimer’s disease (AD)—but its benefits may be experienced only by folks who keep up the pace. That’s the finding of a new research study that compared the effects of low-intensity exercise with those of moderate-intensity workouts on indicators linked to AD. Researchers first used PET imaging to determine levels of glucose metabolism in the brains of 93 cognitively healthy middle-aged participants who had been identified as at risk of developing AD. Glucose metabolism—the utilization of sugar to fuel brain processes—is considered an indicator of how healthy and active brain cells are. People with AD are known to have depressed glucose metabolism in specific areas of the brain. Each participant also wore a device called an accelerometer to measure the intensity of their activity levels over the course of one week, which were rated as light (e.g.,walking slowly), moderate (e.g., a brisk walk), or vigorous (e.g., a strenuous run). According to a report on the research published June 22, 2017 online in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease, participants engaged in moderate-intensity physical activity had better glucose metabolism in all brain regions assessed, while those who engaged in low-intensity activity experienced no benefits. Those who spent at least 68 minutes per day exercising moderately or vigorously had better glucose metabolism than those who spent less time exercising. “We’re showing now that a moderate-intensity active lifestyle actually boosts neuronal function,” the study’s lead author said. “… This probably is one of the pathways through which exercise prevents cognitive decline in middle life.”
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