We are using this hike as a vehicle to raise awareness about exercise being the only thing shown to regenerate brain tissue. There is more to learn about this. Cindy provides some unique data in that most studies focus on less advanced stages, but she is only a sample size of one. Complicating this further are the other beneficial impacts of hiking. I don’t expect caregivers everywhere to put their loved ones through a strenuous hiking regimen, but I hope to provide some insight that might be applied more generally.
First, Cindy does best when the trail is void of obstacles. Cindy was never the most agile person even when healthy, but the problems that poor trail conditions present go beyond her agility. Navigating blowdowns requires focus and induces concern, both of which wear down an already challenged mind. This is why I don’t think dancing, a form of exercise shown to be one of the best for cognitive function, would work its magic on Cindy at this point. She feels too awkward and self-conscious on the dance floor.
However, give Cindy a cleared trail and she thrives, including her cognitive function. There was a game recommended for Cindy, rolling dice with pictures as a stimulus for creative thinking. Cindy struggles with this, as she does with all games, because games involve instructions. Instructions put Cindy on guard, with a self-fulfilling worry that she will fail. Yet while hiking she will be the first to point out an image she sees in this piece of wood or that piece of lichen. A clear trail frees her mind as it always has for both her and me.
Hiking involves the outdoors; the outdoors involves the sun. Aside from the known benefits of the sun for things like vitamin D and melatonin, the sun seems to benefit the soul in ways that perhaps only Druids fully comprehend. I have witnessed Cindy’s mood change in a moment, corresponding to how the clouds have moved in or out. Even moving in and out of shade might produce such an effect. We all know this to be true for ourselves; imagine how this might be augmented for someone with Alzheimer’s.
Speaking of the soul, nothing impacts Cindy’s like the beauty of nature. Nature might not be a tonic for your loved one, but some form of beauty must be. Perhaps a walk through gardens, art gallery or with headphones listening to music might provide a similar dynamic combination. For that matter perhaps dancing has proven to be such helpful exercise precisely because it is a form of beauty for some.
The social aspect of dancing might instead, or in addition, contribute to improved cognitive function. Social networks have been shown to enhance health and happiness for everyone. Perhaps you can engage your loved one in exercise with a social component. Hiking may not fill this bill for most, but Cindy and I usually have hiked with a group of people. More on what people mean to Cindy’s health next time.
