Alzheimer's is a degenerative brain disease that gradually erodes memory and thinking ability. Symptoms develop slowly and become more severe over time, eventually destroying a person's ability to take care of himself or recognize his surroundings. According to the Alzheimer's Association, sufferers of the disease comprise up to 70 percent of dementia cases.
Mental Exercise
Brain games help keep memory function intact and reduce the risk of further memory loss. The Franklin Institute states that even in old age, the brain can grow new neurons, and exercises involving memory and logic can even help rebuild the connections between them. Exercises like word games, Sudoku puzzles, dominoes and chess can regenerate neurons, as can challenging yourself to vary your day-to-day routine. Walking somewhere by a different route, re-lacing a pair of shoes or brushing your teeth with the opposite hand can be effective. Exercising the imagination by making up stories or writing a song on a musical instrument helps keep the powers of narrative and memory alive.
Physical Exercise
Exercising at low to moderate intensity for 30 minutes a day, five days a week can help slow the physical deterioration of Alzheimer's or reduce the risk of developing the disease. Walking is an effective exercise that also helps stimulate the Alzheimer's patient's brain as she takes in her surroundings. Even a patient with limited mobility can reap the benefits of physical exercise. According to Alzheimer's Family Services, basic calisthenics such as leg lifts, squats and toe touches can prove beneficial in keeping the patient capable of caring for herself. Fine motor exercises such as drawing, folding paper or picking up small objects may help a person with Alzheimer's retain the ability to dress and feed herself and perform personal hygiene tasks.
Memory and Recall Exercises
Alzheimer's patients should be encouraged to rehearse their memories by recounting stories from their past and recalling daily events. Talking with an Alzheimer's patient about his day and asking him what he had for lunch can help keep him oriented in the present. Showing a person with Alzheimer's pictures of loved ones or newspaper clippings of important past events can help trigger and exercise both long- and short-term memory.
