The Real Reason for Brains
The longer people sit, the more they want to sit. We are geared for movement and our muscle/bone/brain mass decreases the less active we become.
Please watch Daniel Wolpert’s TED video on how we are geared for movement.
Exercise helps many things including anxiety, depression, and possibly helps reduce the risk of dementia.
http://n.neurology.org/content/neurology/90/15/e1298.full.pdf
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378512217308563#
Discussions with your physical therapist/physician are wise ways to raise the topic of how you can advocate for yourself with exercise.
Habits are not easy to break, nor are they as quick to break as previously reported.
https://www.lifehack.org/667495/how-long-does-it%20take%20to%20form%20a%20habit
– What motivates one person to be active, can be different for another?
– Is it travel that motivates you to train for a trip to hike the Inca trail?
– What drives you to move?
It could be a daily walk to the grocery store or walking to the post office. It could involve going up and down the stairs throughout the day for a set amount of times to try and jump-start the brain into more activity. It does not seem like it takes too much practice but we never think about how the brain seems to compensate and adjust to lower activity.
– We spoke to a woman in her seventies who hikes in New Zealand and she said: “I just need to convince myself to hike and before you know it, my feet follow and I am re-convinced that I can do it.”
– Does going to the gym everyday change your mindset for the day after you get the endorphins (feel-good brain chemicals) rolling?
– What makes you excited about being active?
Maybe walking a dog will actually change your daily activity level because you have a commitment to your canine friend.
On the other leash, taking a cat for an organized walk will challenge your frustration coping abilities
Stay tuned for the Geritrak series of what can motivate people to become active.
Your brain is present to direct all of your movement patterns…help it help you with daily movement.
Stay on track…GeriTraK
GeriTraK. Good to Know