Can Alzheimer’s be prevented? And how might yoga help?
In this free download, Dr. Baxter Bell, author of Yoga for Healthy Aging: A Guide to Lifelong Well-Being, shares some exciting new research on the potential for reducing the risk of developing Alzheimer’s.
For decades it has been assumed that Alzheimer’s and dementia are diseases that develop with age, and that there is nothing we could do to stop the progression of lower our risk.
However, researchers now believe that nearly 40% of all Alzheimer’s and related dementias may be prevented or delayed, says Baxter.
Alzheimer’s takes years to develop, and starting preventive efforts early in life could up our chances of delaying its onset until very late in life – giving us as much as 10-15 more good years.
And fortunately for yoga practitioners, it appears that yoga may prevent a multi-faceted practice to improve brain health and potentially reduce the risk of Alzheimer’s, says Baxter.
More and more information is emerging that yoga can be a boon to maintaining the health of our brains. And, notes Baxter, there is promising new research on how yoga can play an important role in supporting our cognitive health moving forward.
Genetics may play a part as genes that put us at higher risk for developing Alzheimer’s as we age have been identified, especially where there’s a family history of Alzheimer’s.
However, even for those with genetic risk factors, there’s good news.
“A higher risk factor does not necessarily mean that we’ll get Alzheimer’s,” notes Baxter. “Regardless of risk–or even if we’re already somewhere on the mental decline continuum– there are lifestyle steps we can take to nurture our brain health.”
And that’s where the tools of yoga come in. And an Eastern approach can be extremely useful in filling in the gaps, as Western medicine continues to search for answers.
“You have the potential to help lower your risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease,” notes Baxter. “There are at least 12 different modifiable risk factors that can lower our risk, so we’ve actually got a lot of stuff we could be putting our energy towards, instead of fretting about whether we will get Alzheimer’s when we get older.”
The one key factor in Alzheimer’s prevention? Start early!
The underlying changes that start to happen in the brain of people who get Alzheimer’s start 20 years before the first symptoms arise.
“The earlier we start working on reducing our risk factors, the greater potential impact we will have on lowering our risk of developing a very devastating condition down the road,” notes Baxter. “I find this incredibly empowering.”
Baxter then goes on to talk about the different ways yoga can help improve brain health and how we can vary our yoga practice to potentially help lower the risk of Alzheimer’s.
You might also be interested in Baxter’s course: Rx for Empowered Aging: New Research on Alzheimer’s Prevention and the Role of Yoga
