Exercise, Education Keep You Sharp in Old Age

http://www.businessweek.com/lifestyle/content/healthday/627860.html

The article, "Exercise, Education Keep You Sharp in Old Age," states what is needed to be done both physically and mentally in order to "stay on top of your game" once you start to become older. It states that an individual should exercise at either a moderate or vigorous level at least once a week, should love with another person, avoid smoking, participate in some volunteer work or continue to work until a person is in their 70s or 80s. The mental aspect of this is that the individual should maintain at least a ninth grade literacy level.

The results of the study talked about in the article also found a number of other interesting points. The study found that individuals with at least a high school education were three times more likely than someone with less of an education. Another result of the study was that nonsmokers were almost twice as likely as smokers to either maintain or increase their mental capacity. An interesting point is that hypertension and diabetes played no role on mental performance.

As a future physical educator and health teacher, the results of this study are important to me. From the physical education point of view, the results tell me that I need to teach my students lifetime activities such as badminton, golf, or walking that can be done for exercise by nearly anyone. It is much easier for an older individual to just walk that to play basketball. From the health education standpoint, the results tell me that I need to emphasize how bad tobacco is not only for the body, but for the mind as well. Another point that I need to parlay across to my students is that good health habits throughout life will pay off. Dr. John Hart, Jr., a professor at the University of Texas at Dallas says it best, "Stay physically and mentally active, and you will increase your chances of successful aging." I couldn't agree with those words any more.