Health care is full of great ideas that will make us all healthier and save money, except most of them don’t. Those of us who are old and getting older know that memory and cognitive function decline is a constant fear. Now, what was I saying? Oh yes, cognitive decline–can it be slowed or reversed by mindfulness training or exercise. This randomized trial in adults 65 and over suggests not. The participants engaged in an hour a day of meditation, exercise or both or just health education, which was the control group. Memory and cognitive function were periodically assessed over 18 months. There was literally no difference among the groups. Now meditation and exercise may be good for you, but don’t expect them to make your brain work better. There isn’t much you can do about getting older. And don’t think I don’t take a perverse delight in watching all these great ideas fail to prove out. (JAMA Study)
A Mindless Mindfulness Exercise
About this Blog
The Healthy Skeptic is a website about the health care system, and is written by Kevin Roche, who has many years of experience working in the health industry. Mr. Roche is available to assist health care companies through consulting arrangements through Roche Consulting, LLC and may be reached at khroche@healthy-skeptic.com.
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“ Now meditation and exercise may be good for you, but don’t expect them to make your brain work better.”. Exercise sure does make your brain work better.
I don’t know anyone that exercises for fun regularly that’s depressed for example. Not sure why you would make such a statement other then to justify your belief that exercising is not important. Sorry but you are wrong.
You have an ongoing problem with not being able to read carefully, which apparently exercise isn’t helping, which is sort of the research’s point. I never said exercising isn’t important, in fact, in the line I quote I said it was good for you. And we aren’t talking about emotions, but cognition. I walked 8 miles today, which I believe might count as exercise. I said that the research, and this particular piece isn’t the only on to make this finding, doesn’t suggest it makes your cognitive capabilities better.
I think most of us entering our elder years fear cognitive decline, especially if we’ve watched some of our older relatives struggle with it. My method of dealing with it is to cut down on sugar and other refined carbohydrates. Problem is, chocolate is just so darned good!