While most individuals experience occasional bouts of forgetfulness, memory loss may increase with age, as memory lapses are often a normal part of aging, rather than a symptom of a serious illness or impairment. In addition to strengthening your body and enhancing your physique, physical exercise may help improve your memory and guard against memory loss.
Memory Loss
Memory tends to decline with age. You may notice that you forget where you put things more often than before, or you may notice difficulties finding the correct words to use in sentences. Contact your doctor if you worry that your memory loss may be an early sign of dementia or Alzheimer's. Early medical treatment may help halt or slow the progression of certain illnesses that include memory loss.
Significance
While you needn't worry about occasional lapses in memory, such as forgetting the name of an acquaintance or losing your glasses or car keys, some symptoms require a visit to your doctor to rule out serious disorders that cause memory loss. Don't ignore memory losses that cause you to miss important or regular events, such as your daughter's birthday or weekly card games. Trouble recalling the details of something you just experienced, or having difficulty pulling up information to perform tasks that are familiar to you, may be warning symptoms of cognitive disorders.
Tests
A standardized memory test can provide an accurate tool to measure your memory loss. In addition to testing your memory, your doctor may want to test for other factors that may affect your memory, such as environmental toxins, carbon monoxide poisoning, depression, thyroid problems and vitamin deficiencies.
Exercise
Regular exercise provides your mind and body with numerous health benefits. To reap the benefits of exercise, MayoClinic.com advises you exercise for 30 to 60 minutes several times each week. Select exercise routines that you can easily fit into your daily activities. Consider movements that help to work numerous muscle groups, such as swimming, tennis and dancing. When starting a new exercise routine, begin gradually and increase the length and difficulty of your routine as your body adjusts.
Benefits
Physical exercise can help improve the health of your brain by increasing cerebral blood flow. This increase in blood flow may promote the growth of nerve cells, resulting in an improvement in memory. Regular exercise also reduces your risk of developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease, conditions that can lead to memory loss. Exercise may help reduce your levels of stress and improve the amount of oxygen to the cells in your brain.
