Shreveport-Bossier Personal Training

Researchers at the University of Kansas medical center have discovered that physically fit Alzheimer’s patients have larger hippocampuses, a part of the brain, than their counterparts who were not as physically fit.  The hippocampus is the part of the brain that is very important in memory and learning.  This is the first study that showed an actual physical size difference in the brains of those who are physically fit.  This gives us another good reason to exercise and stay fit, whether it is with a personal trainer, working out at your house, or working out at a gym.

Physically fit Alzheimer’s patients had larger hippocampuses, the brain structure key to memory, than those who weren’t as well conditioned, said researchers at the University of Kansas Medical Center, in Kansas City, Kansas, who are scheduled to present the results today at the Alzheimer’s Association’s International Conference. Research released earlier this month linked exercise and brain volume in Alzheimer’s disease for the first time.

Before these studies, research focused on healthy people, showing exercise improves thinking by boosting blood flow and growth hormones in the brain. These findings suggest the same could be true for those with Alzheimer’s. In normal aging, the brain’s 100 billion nerve cells die. The disease accelerates the process, attacking the hippocampus first.

“This is the first time we actually have a structural change we haven’t seen before and gives us an avenue for further investigation,” Lisa Ravdin, director of Neuropsychology at New York-Presbyterian, Weill Cornell Medical College in Manhattan who was not involved in the study.

Read the story here.

The Shreveport Times has a new story detailing the convenience of a home gym.  Here are some excerpts:

But Shreveport personal trainer Blake Wiggins, 39, opted to go another route by turning his garage into a home gym.

“With the equipment I have, I can do most anything that can be done in a commercial gym,” he said.

Keene said the reason for an upgraded home gym is simple.

“Psychologically, if the aesthetics of the room are more pleasing, you’re more likely to use it. You have to make sure it’s an inviting space that you wouldn’t mind using rather than a little dungeon in the basement.

“Natural light helps. Fluorescent lighting is bright, and that’s good. It keeps you awake. Mentally, it keeps you alert, which is how you want to be when you’re exercising. TVs, sound systems — all of that makes you want to go in there. It makes you not dread exercising so much.”

…

Hintz said not only does he and his wife work out on a regular basis, but their children work out, too.

“The kids, who are 7 and 5, saw how much we enjoyed it so they’ve gotten involved, too,” Hintz said. “I use it on average about four days a week and both of our kids will get in there and do cardio.”