Friday, December 11, 2009

Exercising Your Brain

Physical exercise does more than help your heart - it also helps your brain.

The reduction of cholesterol and avoiding plaque buildup in blood vessels, as well as maintaining a reasonable weight, may help keep your memory sharp. In an Owings Mills Times article published yesterday, Levindale geriatric psychiatrist Jeffrey Lafferman, M.D., says vascular or blood flow issues can impair a person's memory.

"Years of fatty foods and high blood pressure and being overweight lead to clots in the vessels that interfere with blood flow," explains Lafferman. "This can lead to problems with short-term memory."

Working out, whether it's with a brisk walk or group sport, can get that blood flowing to the brain and stimulate the memory. If you want a quick way to test your memory health, you can take Center for Memory and Brain Health director Majid Fotuhi's sample test, adapted from his book The Memory Cure.

For more information on the Center for Memory and Brain Health at the Sandra and Malcolm Berman Brain & Spine Institute, click here or call 1-888-747-8899.

No comments: