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GO BEYOND PHYSICAL FITNESS
Develop balance, cognitive function, and range of motion. A 2010 survey by AARP revealed that the number one concern for aging Americans is staying sharp. Seniors love the Makoto Arena because it gives them a way to improve their “mental sharpness” as well as giving them the ability to get that “just right” level of cardio and stretching. The Active Aging/Senior Fitness world has changed dramatically in the last few years. The Makoto Arena and the new Brain Cage with its ability to merge Brain Fitness and Physical Fitness is shaping this market.
Build Cognitive reserve
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Do you know what Cognitive Reserve is? It’s the idea of building up additional abilities to compensate for the possibility of declining memory or thinking. Think of it as over-training to run a race. The race itself may be a 10 kilometer race, but you practice by running 12 kilometers to build up your endurance and strength. In the same way, you build up your cognitive reserve by keeping your brain active through exercise and other brain-stimulating activities. Active reserve is thought of as the ability of our brain to cope with damage by using compensation or different brain processes to retain the ability to function well. Cognitive reserve appears to be affected by the level of mental activity we choose to participate in, making the case for maintaining an active, healthy mind. Cognitive reserve appears to be associated with delaying symptoms of Alzheimer’s even though the brain’s physical condition shows deterioration. Research by Yaakov Stern has led him to the conclusion that, “…all other things being equal the disease (Alzheimer’s) should emerge later in people with higher CR (cognitive reserve)".
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