Carrie,Cool Ride & Tie, and Mild Cognitive Impairment

"Once the 'what' is decided, the 'how' always follows. We must not make the 'how' an excuse for not facing and accepting the 'what.'"– Pearl S. Buck

Today, Carrie joined us for our trail run. Also, Secretariat and Carrie brought their critters to run with us. We ran a short 6 mile loop. Both of them got out in front of me and raced the last hundred yards or so even though Secretariat still has not received word about his medical condition. During the run, we talked about our recent Golden Gate trail run with its beauty as well as its difficulty. Also, mark your calendars for the Cool Ride and Tie scheduled for October 13. Join us.

Sitting on the deck after the run, we talked about dating and being active. As we know, people are having difficulty being active which in turn is a health concern. An article in Time, January 30, 2012 titled Exercise Game On, Grandma stated that exercise is good for the body and the brain. Then the article went on to say that unfortunately individuals who are most likely to benefit are not physically robust enough to exercise. What a sad statement that is.

They talked about a study of 102 older adults there were assigned to ride a stationary bike equipped with a virtual reality screen that allowed the riders to cycle through different environments and interact with obstacles. Another group of adults rode on traditional stationary bikes. The findings were that the cyber cycle subjects lowered their risk of progressing into mild cognitive impairment by 23% compared to the traditional riders.

Perhaps, mild cognitive impairment might precede Alzheimer’s. In any event, the researchers suggested that the cyber or virtual reality screen allowed these individuals to engage their bodies and their brains while cycling.

To make a long story short, just think of the benefits of trail running. While running, my brain is engaged not only in mindfulness but also paying attention to the trail with its roots, rocks etc. but also thinking about my goals, plans for the day, and working through psychological or other issues. Lucky me, as I also get to engage with my friends. Be active folks because it’s good for you.