A healthy lifestyle makes for a healthier brain. Studies have shown that physical and mental exercise, as well as taking care of one’s emotional health, all have positive effects on maintaining memory and keeping the brain sharp.
Physical exercise doesn’t even need to be strenuous to have an impact on dementia risk. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Neurology, adults ages 40 to 79 who walked about five miles a day were 51% less likely to develop dementia, while those who walked just around two miles a day reduced their likelihood of developing dementia by 25%.
Do you want to learn more about how you can reduce your risk of dementia and support those impacted by it? Join CareWell Services and Miles for Memories on August 9 at the Kool Family Community Center (200 W. Michigan Ave. in Battle Creek) for our weekly Lunch & Learn. Miles for Memories is an organization of volunteers in Calhoun County dedicated to creating solutions for those impacted by dementia through movement, programming, and research. Now in their 11th year, they’ve got more services to offer than ever and they can’t wait to share them with you!
Each year Miles for Memories hosts a Community Stroll in Downtown Battle Creek, followed by the Miles for Memories Marathon. The Marathon is a fundraiser lasting over a month that encourages citizens to walk and get active while raising money for older adults with dementia and their caregivers.
Miles for Memories also runs the Safe Return program year round. Safe Return includes the Help Home Program, Personal ID Bracelets, and a Senior ID Program. These programs make up a variety of efforts devoted to making sure that older adults with dementia who stray from their homes and caregivers can be identified and brought back to their homes safely, with the help of the Calhoun County Consolidated Dispatch Authority 911 Center.
Interested in learning more about the organization, the community stroll, and the marathon? Join us for the August 9 Lunch & Learn from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm, presented by Sherii Sherban of both Miles for Memories and Senior Times. Registration is required. Please register by Wednesday, August 7 if you will be getting the $6 lunch. RSVP by calling us at (269) 966-2450 or online at www.carewellservices.org/registration.