Keep moving for your mind not just your body
I had to write a short article for the Leyland Leader this week. Here is part of it below:
When we think about exercise we often just focus on the physical benefits but the mental benefits are often overlooked but they are highly significant to our health. Here are some of the benefits: -When you exercise the brain releases feel-good brain chemicals such as endorphins, serotonin and dopamine so within a very short space of time you feel more positive. -Your mood is lifted by a sense of achievement you don’t get by sitting in front of the TV -You can relax more deeply after exercise. This can make a big difference if you are going through a stressful time. – Exercise can be a great way to make social connections whether it is in a class or in a team Social isolation can have a massively negative health impact. There was a great front page article on the front page of The Times this week. The paragraph below is a very brief summary:
Exercise can improve the performance of the brain by boosting memory and cognitive processing. This happens at all ages from young children to mature adults. In fact, exercise is as important in staving off dementia as keeping your mind active latest research has found. Regular exercise is key. Keeping exercising helps you maintain a stronger, faster brain. Combining exercise with other healthy lifestyle choices can help reduce the risk of developing dementia by 60% .
60+ Circuits Wednesdays 11.30am Prospect House, Sandy Lane, Leyland PR25 2EE Our gentle older persons circuit class has gone from strength to strength. We are talking about starting another class! It is ideal for people who do not want to go to a dance based class. It came about when I was contacted by the NHS Healthy Lifestyle Team as I am GP Referral trained instructor. They wanted a class for their participants to graduate onto after they had done the Healthy Lifestyle Programme. It is at 11.30am Wednesday mornings at Prospect House, Sandy Lane, Leyland.
Stamps A big thank you from Chris Taylor in Zumba who is collecting stamps for RNIB. You have brought in lots! Just bring them to class and I will forward them to her.
Energy levels I am back teaching all my daytime classes – thanks to Karen for covering. Henry and I are sharing the Thursday night Zumba again this week. I have been warned it can take 3 months to recover totally from that horrid virus! I have had to learn patience big style! I can’t wait to get back to normal.
How do I know what is on and when? The best way to do this is to go to my web-site www.dofitness.org/calendar or www.dofitness.org and look at ‘upcoming events’.
xxx
Diane