Run off the calories & keep your brain healthy

Running around the block daily may be seen as a good way to keep your body active but recent research has shown that it may also be the key to keeping your brain healthy. In the UK 1 out of every 20 people above the age of 65 have dementia. Dementia is a syndrome where the areas of the brain responsible for memory, attention, language and problem solving are affected causing people to not be able to think or communicate correctly.

The Karolinska Institute in Stockholm has recently held experiments to see if there is a connection between people that are overweight and those that were more likely to have dementia. Their results show that those with a BMI between 25 and 30 were 71% more likely to have the brain based illness later on in life. Those classified as obese were 288% more likely to have dementia after 65 compared to those who have a healthy weight.

With 1.6 billion people overweight worldwide the problem is likely to get worst but exercise holds the key. We need to do 30 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise 5 days a week to stay healthy. One of the most common forms of exercise is jogging; it’s free and easy to do offer a way to stay in shape for free.

If you are thinking of jogging around your local area to stay in shape we recommend that you don’t just purchase a cheap pair of trainers. Many cheap shoes don’t offer your feet air to breathe and could cause discomfort after running for a long distance. We recommend buying mid-priced trainers. We have found that these trainers offer great amounts of comfort and allow your feet to breathe correctly. The Nike trainers also have the option to include a GPS chip in them which can help you monitor your progress against past runs and against your friends.

Let us know your thoughts on staying in shape and how you keep the pounds off.