How Important Is Exercise When Living With Alzheimer's Disease?

May 4, 2009 -- Question: How important is exercise when living with Alzheimer's disease?

Answer: I think that physical exercise is tremendously important when living with Alzheimer's disease. We know there are studies showing that if you exercise everyday -- if you get some aerobic or cardiovascular conditioning -- that it even staves off the disease or reduces risk. We also know that it's important to live a healthy lifestyle even if you already have the diagnosis. So I've found many patients and families will exercise together, which reduces stress and also increases their heart health as well as their brain health.