Potential Benefits Of Exercise Training For The Caregivers
Direct Benefit of Exercise Training on Caregivers Burden
Indirect Benefits of Exercise Training on Caregivers Burden
Potential Benefits of a Dyadic Exercise Intervention
Using a dyadic intervention could be seen as effective because of the mutual influence between the person with dementia and the informal caregiver. A systematic review including 50 studies between 1992 and 2005 showed that dyadic psychosocial interventions are effective in improving various outcomes in individuals with AD and their caregivers including behavioral problems, quality of life, and mood. However, the outcomes for the person with dementia and the caregiver varied between studies using different interventions, designs, or methodologies . The authors concluded that studies should carefully match the targeted functional domains, intervention components, and delivery characteristics of a program with the needs of the person with dementia and the family caregiver . This present review demonstrates that including both persons with AD and their caregivers in exercise clinical trials is feasible and may produce a positive effect on the tested outcomes, especially when programs target caregiver burden and functional independence. However, further study is needed to investigate the effect of a dyadic exercise intervention on cognitive performances, behavioral and neuropsychiatric symptoms, quality of life, and other common symptoms in people with dementia .
Cost Effectiveness and Health Care Implications
An Ancient Martial Art
Tai chi involves a series of gentle exercises and stretches. It can help a person think more clearly and bolster their memory. Plus, itâs easy on joints and can be done inside or outside. It can improve balance and strength, too. The classes are common at senior centers, rec departments, and gyms that are senior-friendly.
The Moderator Role Of Exercise Training Characteristics
Exercise training characteristics did not moderate the effects of exercise on cognitive function. These results do not concur with previous meta-analyses that included people with AD. Panza et al found AT was more beneficial than RT and MT among those at risk for AD and living with AD. Jia et al found AT interventions that were greater than 16 weeks, and up to three training sessions per week for 30min per session were more effective than interventions with shorter intervention length, higher frequency and longer exercise training sessions. Groot et al demonstrated that MT and AT interventions had greater effects on cognition in older adults living with all-cause dementia than non-aerobic interventions.
In addition, to advance the application of exercise as therapy for dementia, trial descriptions of exercise training interventions need to be improved, as recommended by the Consensus on Exercise Reporting Template . For example, exercise intensity is pivotal when considering the quality and strength of the evidence on the benefits of exercise on cognitive function and health. Even though, exercise intensity was poorly reported in several RCTs included in our systematic review and meta-analysis. Eight trials did not report exercise intensity at all, and five reported incomplete aspects of intensity measurement . This inconsistency in describing key intervention characteristics poses barriers for the quality and strength of the evidence.
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Staying Positive And Consistent
Ultimately, its important that physical activity brings your loved one joy and a sense of accomplishment. If theyre frustrated with certain types of exercise, its likely they wont continue. Remain flexible and keep trying other activities until discovering something they find fun.
If your loved one with dementia is experiencing difficulty with activities beyond exercising, it may indicate their care needs are increasing. For example, if theyre having trouble managing activities of daily living such as bathing and dressing, it may be time to consider extra assistance.
Memory care communities can provide assistance with these types of daily tasks. Additionally, they often provide exercise classes and activities for seniors with varying abilities. If youre considering senior care, A Place for Mom provides a free consultation service that helps families find senior care options in their area.
Benefits Of Physical Activities For Dementia
The benefits of exercise will vary depending on the person. But in general, being active improves health and well-being in many ways, including:
- Improving mood, reducing stress, and increasing calm to reduce episodes of aggression, wandering, or agitation
- Improving physical abilities for everyday tasks
- Reducing fall risk because of improved strength and balance
- Slowing mental decline
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What Is This Study About
This study will compare the effectiveness of two in-home exercise programs to increase physical activity in older adults with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease and their caregivers. Participants will be assigned as a pair to complete 150 minutes of moderate physical activity each week using either a live online exercise program or a self-guided exercise program based on written materials. All participants will receive a tablet computer and a wearable activity tracker, and will meet regularly with a health coach during the one-year study. Researchers will measure participants’ physical activity, as well as changes in cognitive function, daily functioning, weight, quality of life, and caregiver burden.
Where Can One Receive These Cognitive Therapies
Physical and occupational therapists would be the best source of incorporating these cognitive exercises and activities into someones regular regimen and treatment for dementia. But most memory care facilities also offer these types of services,including Sunflower Communities.
Our comprehensive programs for dementia and Alzheimers patients offer these activities and more as a form of therapy and treatment for this awful disease.
Our excellent staff is trained to treat dementia patients with kindness, care, and patience. Your loved ones will get the cognitive therapy they deserve in our community. Reach out today for more information!
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How Does Exercise Help With Dementia And Alzheimers Disease
The risk factors for Alzheimers disease which are largely associated with reduced physical activity suggest that exercise can help to prevent or delay Alzheimers disease.
Exercise can also be used as a medicine for managing established AD by:
- Slowing the progression of AD in people with mild to moderate cognitive impairment
- Improving physical and mental function
- Slowing or reversing the muscle wasting often associated with advanced disease
- Improving mood and depression in patients with existing disease
- Lessening behavioural problems in people with advanced disease.
People who are physically active have a lower risk of developing AD than those who are inactive. Starting and maintaining an exercise program is associated with reduced levels of beta amyloid a protein that forms plaques on the brain and is currently thought to be the main cause of AD. Exercise can benefit people who already show signs of AD by improving their quality of life, slowing down the disease progression, and improving physical function and health.
Things to remember
- One on one exercise exercise sessions are better than group exercise due to need for close supervision, instruction of exercises and counting of repetitions.
- For outside activities, consider wearing a medical alert bracelet or pendant.
- Use weight machines rather than dumbbells or barbells that can be dropped.
Exercises A Loved One With Dementia Can Do
A program of exercises for dementia patients that includes gentle stretching, strength training, balance, and endurance can be beneficial, according to a study published in The Journal of Nutrition, Health and Aging.
Here are a few examples of exercises within each of those four categories that you can try out with your loved one.
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Prepare A Safe Working Area
People with dementia often have difficulty with visual perception and coordination. Ensure that surfaces are uncluttered, with few distractions and as little noise as possible. Good lighting , seating preferences and correct work heights are also important. Use plastic containers to help avoid breakages.Dont allow activities to reinforce inadequacy or increase stress. Levels of ability can change from day to day. Activities can be adapted and tried another time if they were not successful or enjoyable the first time.
The Best Exercise For People With Alzheimers Disease
Robert Newton, PhD and Owen Carmichael, PhD
Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University
Learn about the different exercises that are appropriate and safe for individuals with Alzheimers disease.
There is little doubt that regular exercise improves health. It helps to lower blood pressure, improve blood sugar levels, decrease waist circumference, improve fitness, maintain weight, improve mood, and decrease anxiety.1-4 These benefits are especially important for individuals with Alzheimers disease who often have comorbid chronic diseases and changes to mood. In addition, regular exercise can aid in slowing the progressive cognitive decline of individuals with Alzheimers disease.5 Individuals with Alzheimers disease or their caretakers may wonder if regular exercise is safe and what exercises should be done. So, what kinds of exercise should individuals with Alzheimers disease be doing?
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The Importance Of Physical Exercise
Did you know that regular physical exercise can reduce your risk for developing Alzheimers disease by up to a stunning 50%? Moreover, studies have shown that women from age 40 to 60 who exercised regularly were seen to have a dramatic reduction in memory loss and cognitive decline. Thats right they kept their brain power at optimal strength! More recent findings suggest that an overall active lifestyle is the key to brain and body health.
To see the best benefits of your exercise program, the latest research reveals that the magic number for maintaining cognitive fitness with age and preventing Alzheimers is to work up to a level of 150 minutes per week of a combination of cardio exercise and strength training. Great ways to get in your aerobic exercise include brisk walking, jogging, dancing, swimming, and playing tennis, or going to the gym and utilizing an elliptical, treadmill or stationary bike.
Anything that gets your heart pumping and your muscles moving is heading you in the right direction to better overall health. Plus when you include strength training , you maintain your muscle mass and prevent osteoporosis and related illness.
Keep reading to discover how you can work out your brain to keep it in the same good shape as your renewed body, in your goal to prevent Alzheimers disease.
Summary Of The Search Strategy
We conducted our systematic review and meta-analysis according to the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews and Interventions and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis statements. Our protocol was registered with PROSPERO on 18 August 2020, and updated on 3 December 2020 to reflect the updated set of databases and search terms used. Between 29 July and 6 August 2020, searches were performed in the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, PsycINFO, Embase, Medline and CINAHL for articles published between 1 January 1990 and 1 July 2020. Reference lists from identified studies and previous relevant systematic reviews were examined to identify additional articles not captured by the database search. An updated search was conducted on 15 April 2021 to capture studies published between 1 July 2020 and 15 April 2021.
The terms used in the database searches were divided into four categories: dementia, older adults, exercise training and cognitive function. All terms were searched as keywords in addition to each database-specific subject headings and MeSH terms. The complete search strategy can be found in ). We exported all initial records into Covidence, wherein we excluded duplicates and screened references .
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Staying Safe Is The Top Priority
Exercise is helpful in many ways for seniors with dementia, but the top priority is to make sure they stay safe before, during, and after physical activities.
Safety tips:
- Before starting, check with the doctor to make sure that exercise is safe for their physical and cognitive conditions.
- Monitor the level of exertion by checking in with brief conversations. If they can speak without being short of breath, the pace is comfortable. If they cant hold a conversation because theyre breathing too hard, slow the pace.
- Keep them hydrated with plenty of water before, during and after exercising.
- For outside activities, make sure theyre wearing a medical alert bracelet, personal identification, and/or a GPS tracker in case they get separated from you.
- If they get dizzy, weak, or experience pain, stop immediately and rest. Talk to their doctor to find out if future exercise will be safe.
Hormone Found To Confer Benefits Of Exercise On Cognitive Function
Image: lisafx/iStock/Getty Images Plus
New insight into the workings of the hormone irisin shows it has the ability to spur the cognitive benefits of exercise, holding promise for treating cognitive decline in Alzheimer’s disease, Harvard Medical School scientists at Massachusetts General Hospital have found.
In a study published in Nature Metabolism, the research team report that irisin, secreted by muscles during exercise, could be an effective therapeutic for addressing deficits of the brain that result from Alzheimers disease.
Preserving cognitive function is a major challenge in an increasingly aging population, said study senior author Christiane Wrann, an HMS assistant professor of medicine and leader of the Program in Neuroprotection in Exercise at Mass General.
Exercise is known to have positive effects on brain health, which is why identifying key mediators of those neuroprotective benefits, like irisin, has become such a critical goal of research, Wrann said.
Using mouse models, the team showed that genetic deletion of irisin impairs cognitive function in exercise, aging, and Alzheimers disease, which was in part caused by alterations of newborn neurons in the hippocampus.
The hippocampus is the compartment of the brain that stores memories and is the first to show signs of Alzheimers disease.
Another important finding of the study is that irisin protects against neuroinflammation by acting directly on glial cells in the brain.
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Types Of Exercise For People With Dementia
If the person used to enjoy a particular form of exercise, such as golf, encourage them to take it up again with your support. Other suggestions include:
- walking this is one of the best all-round exercises, and its free. Walking also helps to work off the restless urge to wander that is typical of Alzheimers patients. Try combining the walk with a useful errand, such as going to the shops for milk or exercising the dog
- cycling a tandem bicycle allows you to sit up front and control the bike, while your passenger sits in the back seat and pedals. If the person with dementia has problems with their balance, you could try hiring a three-wheeled bicycle for them to ride, while you cycle alongside them
- gym work such as treadmills, stationary bicycles and weight machines
- aerobics you could attend classes together or hire appropriate low-impact aerobic workout videos.
Plan Ahead For Outings
Here are some tips to make outings fun:
- Plan outings for the time of day when the person with Alzheimer’s is at his or her best.
- Keep outings from becoming too long. Take note of how tired the person gets after a certain amount of time. Bring the person home before he or she becomes overtired.
- Use a business-size card to tell others about the person’s disease. Sharing this information with store clerks or restaurant staff can make outings more comfortable for everyone. For example, the card could say “My family member has Alzheimer’s disease. He might say or do things that are unexpected. Thank you for your understanding.”
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Search Results And Study Characteristics
shows a summary of the study selection and screening process. The original search yielded 12918 articles. Thirty additional records were identified through the bibliographic review and 726 were identified in an updated search. After deduplication, 8358 records remained. Titles and abstracts screening resulted in 110 full-text articles assessed based on the inclusion criteria. The present studies excluded after full-text review along with its reasons for exclusion. Twenty-eight studies were included in the qualitative review, and 25 studies were included in the quantitative review .
Results of moderation analyses for continuous moderators
Visiting Family And Friends
Spending time with family and friends is important to people with Alzheimer’s disease. They may not always remember who people are, but they often enjoy the company. Here are some tips to share with people you plan to visit:
- Be calm and quiet. Don’t use a loud voice or talk to the person with Alzheimer’s as if he or she were a child.
- Respect the person’s personal space, and don’t get too close.
- Make eye contact and call the person by name to get his or her attention.
- Remind the person who you are if he or she doesn’t seem to know you. Try not to say, “Don’t you remember?”
- Don’t argue if the person is confused. Respond to the feelings that he or she expresses. Try to distract the person by talking about something different.
- Remember not to take it personally if the person doesn’t recognize you, is unkind, or gets angry. He or she is acting out of confusion.
- Have ready some kind of activity, such as a familiar book or photo album to look at. This can help if the person with Alzheimer’s is bored or confused and needs to be distracted. But be prepared to skip the activity if it is not needed.
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Publication Bias And Risk Of Bias
There is some degree of publication bias . Risk of bias assessment rendered 7 studies with low risk of bias, 11 with some concerns and 10 with a high risk of bias . Importantly, risk of bias was not a significant moderator of exercise trainings effect com cognitive function. Risk of bias assessment by type of dementia revealed that among the studies that included only participants living with AD, one had a low risk of bias , three a moderate risk of bias and three a high risk of bias . However, risk of bias assessment of studies that included participants living with vascular dementia, multiple types of dementia and unspecified dementia revealed that six trials had a low risk of bias , eight a moderate risk of bias and four a high risk of bias . Among the included trials, 3.6% were classified as poor quality, 14.3% as fair quality, 53.6% as good quality and 28.5% as optimal quality . A detailed scoring is presented in .