Your Brain on Exercise
We all know that exercise has many benefits but what you may not realize is that certain types of exercise actually increase cell production in the brain and reduce brain atrophy as we age!
First let’s talk about the mental benefits of exercise. Exercise has shown to improve your mood, reduce stress, increase energy, improve confidence, increase self-esteem and improve your sleep. All of these are things that everyone would like to see as a “side effect” of exercise. Let’s go one step further and talk about some specific types of exercise and how they help your brain.
As we age our brain ages as well, causing it to be “less sharp” by actually producing less cells. We may forget things more frequently, we may have a difficult time finding the right words to say and in the worst case scenario we could suffer from dementia or Alzheimer’s disease.
Exercise has shown to help slow the negative cognitive changes our brains encounter as we age. All exercise is beneficial but some has been proven to be so powerful it actually helps build your “grey matter” also know as your brain.
There are several classes at Coach Mel’s that have combined movements. Getting your upper body and lower body to move at the same time is challenging and makes your brain do more work than if you were out for a walk. Don’t get me wrong, a walk is better than nothing, but if you have the opportunity to do some exercise that required some concentration, learning a pattern, etc. it will have more benefits for your brain.
Dance is one of the best forms of exercise for your brain. You can feel the physical effort it takes to dance but what you are also doing, that you don’t necessarily feel, is increasing your brain activity and making your brain’s cognitive function stronger.
Using weights, or other types of resistance, moving in a patterned fashion, while sometime frustrating is the best exercise combination for you. Sports that use eye/hand coordination are also beneficial to your brain’s cognitive function.
So, while sometimes tricky, stick with it because it is important to exercise your brain while you are exercising your body!
May 2, 2021
Register before fees go up!
Don’t forget to register for this fun 5k for women. All proceeds benefit the Jr. Women’s Club of Litchfield Hills. This is the perfect 5k to complete as your first or fifty-first, the course is mostly flat with beautiful scenery along Bantam Lake. Walkers are encouraged! The registration fee increases on April 12th so get over there NOW to register and be sure to join the Coach Mel’s Team!
Coach Mel's Deviled Eggs
If you have left over hard boiled eggs from Easter, here is the perfect recipe to make some yummy deviled eggs. Now I have to warn you that one of the ingredients is hard to find and I don’t have measurements…this is a “wing it” kinda recipe. Here’s what you’ll need…
Hard Boiled Eggs
Mayonnaise – I use Hellman’s Olive Oil Mayo
Spicy Brown Mustard
Red Raspberry Wasabi Mustard (the secret ingredient – I order mine from Bass Pro Shop of all places)
Salt & Pepper to Taste
Start by pealing and cutting each egg in half. Put yolks in a bowl and mash them up. Add mayo and both mustards in relatively even portions until it gets to a creamy consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste. I will then take this mixture and put it into a small plastic sandwich bag, snip off one of the bottom corners of the bag and use it like a pastry bag to squirt the filling into the eggs.
Our Newest Senior Class is a Big HIT!
Senior Stretch & Scrabble
Congratulations to all of our Scrabble winners
Every Saturday, January through March, we had a Senior Stretch & Scrabble virtual class using the larger than life Scrabble Board on the wall at Coach Mel’s.
Congratulations to the following winners:
Barbara M, Cathy W, Donna T, Joyce Z, Mary M, Vijay K
Below is this week’s brain teaser.
It’s an easy one. This is the Scrabble Board we used for class, a letter fell off, see how quickly you can find the word with the missing letter.
Here is the answer key from last week’s Easter Egg Hunt.
There were 11 eggs hidden in the photo.
Next Week...
The Right Recipe for Exercise
Jane’s Chicken Parmesan Cutlet Recipe
Earth Day Clean-up
How Well Do You Know Coach Mel Crossword