“Irene. Honey, where have you been? I’ve missed you so much.” His eyes were wondering around her figure, lost in a sea of confusion and angst.  Williams hospital gown covered up most of his frail arms as he did his best to lean over and get a better look at his long lost sweetheart. 

Only it wasn’t Irene. It was his daughter, Janet. Every day when she came to visit him, it was the same gut wrenching pain of having her own father not recognize her anymore. She knew it wasn’t his fault but it didn’t soften the blows by any stretch of the imagination. 

“Where have you been? I’ve been waiting for you for a long time. I don’t understand. What did I do to make you go away?”

As the tears streamed down her young, full cheeks, Janet tried to respond. It was only getting worse by the day. Sometimes there were flashes when he would remember anything from who she really was to when Irene died some ten years ago.  The doctors had said it was coming close to the end of the line for William. Soon, his body would forget how to breathe, how to eat, how to live.

What a horrible way for the big, strong man who had raised her, to die.

“I’m Janet, daddy,” she choked out a meager reply. 

“No, no. Don’t be silly. Janet is..is..who is Janet?”

That was the last straw. Janet needed a break. She excused herself and walked out of the hospital room. Briskly making her way to the bathroom down the hall.

Its an all familiar scene for millions of people around the world every year. Dementia takes hold and there is no going back. It is devastating to the families of the loved one as the most precious of wealth, our memories, are robbed from us right before our very eyes.

But there are ways to protect yourself (and your family) from such fates. One of the simplest ways to combat inflammation of the brain (thus helping it stay active and fit) is exercise! Yup, that’s right. Sometimes the simplest answers are the best answers.

Research has shown that moderate activity exercise reduces the inflammation of the brain and releases hormones that keep it active and fit. The brain may not be a muscle in the normal sense of the term but its the key to the whole system and if it’s happy, you’re happy too.

One very interesting study found  US researchers at the Harvard Medical School giving proteins created by exercising mice to mice who weren’t exercising at all.  They found the proteins were protecting the “lazy” mice from the ill effects of degenerative brain conditions. Thus they concluded that exercise may in fact be a way to ward off such illnesses. 

Scientists have always believed and recorded the mental benefits of exercise when it came to studies but up until recently they really couldn’t understand why jogging was good for your brain. 

According to Doctor Petersen M.D. From the Mayo Clinic, exercise may be the BEST defense against dementia and Alzheimer’s. “Studies show that people who are physically active are less likely to experience a decline in their mental function and have a lowered risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.” 

Just 30 to 60 minutes a day can make a huge difference in your mental health in the later years. Nobody wants to be in that hotel room when a loved one forgets their name. Its the worst kind of pain. Preventing dementia is just another rock solid reason to exercise on a regular basis. Stop thinking about it and go for a run!