>>> TODAY WE’RE KICKING OFF A
NEW SERIES CALLED "LOVINGOR YOUR
BRAIN."
AND WE’RE TAKING A LOOK AT THE
BENEFITS OF EXERCISE, NUTRITION,
AND SLEEP.
>> WE ALL KNOW THAT EXERCISE IS
REALLY IMPORTANT TO OUR HEALTH.
BUT YOU MAY BE SURPRISED TO
LEARN JUST HOW MUCH OF AN IMPACT
OUR MOVEMENT HAS ON OUR MEMORY.
TAKE A LOOK.
>> ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE RUNS IN
MY FAMILY ON MY FATHER’S SIDE,
HIS MOTHER AND OLDEST BROTHER.
BOTH PASSED AWAY DUE TO
COMPLICATIONS FROM ALZHEIMER’S
DISEASE, AND MY FATHER IS
CURRENTLY LIVING WITH THE
DISEASE.
THIS DISEASE IS AWFUL, AND I
WOULDN’T WISH IT ON ANYONE OR
THE PEOPLE THAT LOVE THEM.
>> AS A PHYSICAL THERAPIST AND
FORMER COLLEGE ATHLETE, STEVE
CHAMBERS KNOWS THE POWER OF
EXERCISE.
BUT WHEN HIS DAD GOT SICK IN
2014, THE EXERCISE CAME TO A
HALT.
>> MY LIFE WAS REALLY ABOUT
GOING BACK AND FORTH TO MARYLAND
AND HELPING CARE FOR HIM.
AND I KIND OF PUT MY OWN NEEDS
AND MY OWN HEALTH ON THE
BACKBURNER.
>> THAT’S WHEN THE 49-YEAR-OLD
DECIDED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE
DISEASE.
HE JOINED A STUDY RUN BY
NEUROLOGIST DR. RICHARD
ISAACSON.
>> ONE THING A PERSON CAN DO
TODAY RIGHT NOW TO HAVE A
POSITIVE IMPACT ON THEIR BRAIN
HEALTH TOMORROW, THE NUMBER ONE
THING I WOULD RECOMMEND IS
EXERCISE.
EXERCISE ON A REGULAR BASIS IS
LIKE MIRACLE GROW FOR THE BRAIN.
>> IT IS A POWERFUL MESSAGE FROM
A DOCTOR WHO’S SEEN THE PROOF.
>> WHEN SOMEONE DEVELOPS
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE, IT’S A
STICKY PLAQUE IN THE BRAIN AND
IT’S MADE UP OF AMYLOID.
AMYLOID IS SOMETHING WE CAN NOW
DETECT.
EXERCISE CAN ATTACK AMYLOID.
WE PUT PEOPLE ON INDIVIDUALIZED
TARGETED PLANS SPECIFICALLY
CRAFTED FOR THEM.
FROM WHAT OUR STUDY HAS SHOWN
THAT WITHIN 18 MONTHS THEY WERE
ACTUALLY ABLE TO IMPROVE THEIR
BRAIN HEALTH OVER TIME AS WELL
AS REDUCE THEIR RISK FOR
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE, AND
EXERCISE IS ONE OF THE
CORNERSTONES OF THOSE PLANS.
NOT ONLY DID I BECOME MORE
DISCIPLINED ABOUT MAKING SURE
THAT THE EXERCISE HAPPENED BUT
FOCUSING ON FITNESS MORE FROM A
BRAIN HEALTH STANDPOINT AND A
LONGEVITY STANDPOINT.
>> FIVE YEARS LATER.
>> I FEEL TEN YEARS YOUNGER
TODAY.
I LITERALLY FEEL LIKE I’VE
SHARED YEARS OFF OF MY LIFE.
I FEEL BETTER.
MY ABILITY TO REMEMBER THINGS
AND TO MULTITASK, I FEEL LIKE
IT’S BETTER NOW THAN IT’S BEEN
IN MY ADULT LIFE.
>> AND THE PROOF IS IN THE DATA.
>> STEVE IS DOING GREAT.
HIS COGNITIVE FUNCTION WENT FROM
AROUND THE 50th PERCENTILE FOR
HIS AGE IN EDUCATION TO OVER IN
THE 98th PERCENTILE.
>> STUDIES HAVE ALSO SHOWN THAT
THERE IS A DIRECT LINK BETWEEN
BELLY FA THE IN WOMEN AND
COGNITIVE WOMEN.
>> AS THE BELLY SIZE GETS
LARGER, THE MEMORY CENTER IN THE
BRAIN GETS SMALLER.
>> BUT IT’S NEVER TOO LATE TO
START EXRZING AND ATTACKING THAT
FAT.
>> THERE’S NOT A
ONE-SIZE-FITS-ALL APPROACH TO
EXERCISE.
BUT MIXING IN HIGH-INTENSITY
INTERVAL TRAINING ALONG WITH
STRENGTH AND BALANCE TRAINING AT
LEAST FOUR, FIVE, AND IDEALLY
SIX DAYS A WEEK.
MY HOPE FOR HIM AND ANY OTHER
PERSON THAT I SEE IN MY PRACTICE
IS THAT WE PREVENT OR REALLY
DELAY THEIR ALZHEIMER’S LONG
ENOUGH SO THAT WE HAVE TIME FOR
THAT BLOCKBUSTER DRUG TO COME.
I THINK THAT IF STEVE STAYS THE
COURSE, STEVE HAS AN AMAZING
CHANCE TO NOT HAVE TO WORRY
ABOUT ALZHEIMER’S.
>> STEVE NOT ONLY FEELS SHARPER,
BUT HE FEELS MORE EMPOWERED THAN
EVER BEFORE.
>> WE HAVE TO ACCEPT THAT THIS
IS MY FATHER’S REALITY.
BUT IF I CAN TAKE STEPS AT THIS
STAGE IN LIFE TO MINIMIZE THE
LIKELIHOOD OF ME GETTING
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE AND THOSE
THAT LOVE ME HAVING TO ENDURE
THAT, THEN I’M GOING TO DO
WHATEVER I CAN AND MUST DO.
>> YOU KNOW, IT’S SO FUNNY.
MARIA SHRIVER’S BEEN TALKING
ABOUT BRAIN HEALTH AND
ALZHEIMER’S FOR SO LONG.
SHE DOES THAT MOVE FOR MINDS
THING.
IT’S SUCH A BIG PART OF IT.
AND WATCHING IT RIGHT THERE IN
ACTION.
>> THERE ARE SO MANY REASONS TO
GET OFF THE COUCH AND GET
OUTDOORS OR GO TO THE GYM.
SO TOMORROW WE’LL LOOK AT HOW