Living with dementia and memory problems
Exercise and dementia
In this section we talk about exercising:
- Exercise is recommended for living well with dementia
- Walking every day
- Gyms and sports groups that support people with dementia
Exercise is recommended for living well with dementia
People said that they knew about the importance of exercise, either because their doctor told them or through reading about life with dementia. Some people are keeping up the exercise they have always enjoyed and others have joined new classes or go walking each day.
Lorraine: Oh, that was it, I was going to say about Dr [name]. Derek: Mm, mm. Lorraine: And when you went and you got your mild cognitive impairment diagnosis, MCI, as they shorten it, Derek actually said to Dr [name], “What can I do to help myself with this?” And he said, “Top of the shop,” he said, “physical exercise.” Derek: Mm. Lorraine: He said, “That’s the top thing for you to be doing.” And, and reading up on it, it, it tends to be exercise is the top of the list with the dementia. Derek: Mm. Lorraine: And, and keeping physically active. Well, if you enjoy it then that’s great; and you get to go with your sons as well do you? Derek: Oh, very much, yeah, yeah, mm.The doctor told Derek exercise is the best thing.
The doctor told Derek exercise is the best thing.
Trish: Again, I know, and we both know that physical exercise for dementia is very important; it’s very important what he, what Howard wants to eat and keeping alcohol low, if not at all. So therefore, since we’ve been in the retirement village we’ve found two couples that we particularly get on with and every morning [name], [name] and Howard go for a walk and they’ve all got the same pom-pom hats and it’s a bit like The Last of the Summer Wine. So, they go out for an hour’s walk every day and then they pop into the coffee shop downstairs and have a coffee, put the worlds to right and come back, so that’s, and your fitness level has improved actually. Howard: Yeah, they put the world right because coz- [laughs] I just leave them to it and they just chat all of the time and eventually they ask me about bits and pieces. Trish: As you say, they don’t have dementia. Howard: But it doesn’t really matter. So how, how long do you walk for, or does it depend on the weather, I suppose. Howard: About two hours, I think, something like that. Or is it an hour and a half? Trish: An hour, it’s usually, it’s usually. Howard: The last thirty minutes is a coffee [laughs]. Right, right. Trish: Yeah, yeah, he’s away for two hours but they actually walk usually around an hour/an hour and a quarter. Howard: Yes. Trish: And then you have your chinwag in the coffee shop downstairs. Howard: Yeah, yeah.Howard knows the importance of daily exercise.
Howard knows the importance of daily exercise.
Laurie goes to a social group for people with memory problems. At each meeting they spend some time doing chair-based exercises. Since going to these sessions, Laurie has felt much stronger and has been able to return to regular swimming too.
What, that will be three day a week I’ll be occupied, swimming one day and two day to [social care support centre]. So I know I’m feeling a hundred percent better already, because this arm, oh this arm used to hurt, used to hurt, and the doctor put two injection in here about seven/eight years now, and it hurts still; if I sleep and it hurt, and since I’m doing the, the exercise, I can’t tell you, I says to my husband, “You know that, that my legs used to hurt me coming up the hill,” you know we have a little hill there? So, I said, “It hurt me sometime I can’t come,” and I says, “isn’t it funny, because since I started doing the exercise I, I not feeling any pain in my leg again.” Fantastic. So, the, so is that when you go on a Thurday and you start the, start the day. Thurday, yeah, exercise. With the, with some exercises? Yes, yes. I did that with you the first time I came; I was exhausted. Two, two, this week was two, because the lady come, an English lady come and, and she, she had, did, did the exercise with us, and she went, and in the, after a long time another girl, another girl, what they call her [facilitator] she come and do another one, yes, and I did one Thurday, yeah. So, it can keep me going. Yes, yeah. So, feeling, feeling fit and more energetic? That’s what I’m telling my husband, you know my legs feel different, because see the bike there, my son bring for me? Bring for me and I have a foot machine, so you see I, I’m doing things, yes, I’m doing things.Since joining the memory hub, Laurie has felt the benefit of exercising.
Since joining the memory hub, Laurie has felt the benefit of exercising.
Walking every day
Walking is a good way to keep mobile, whether it’s with an organised group or with friends or family.
So, after I go walking, I just go straight to the meeting. Right, OK. Yeah. So, do you walk with, with somebody? Yeah, called step out [city], it’s walking group. Oh right. That’s step out [city] So, is that in the town, in the hills? No, up in, in this area, yeah, we base in this area. Oh. So that’s a group of people then? Yeah, we meet every Tueday. In the rain? Whether it rain or not; well, if it’s raining too bad we, we don’t go, or it’s snowing bad we don’t, we don’t go. No, not in the, because these roads, these hills would be, would be treacherous in the snow. They are, they are; we try and, go across [laughs] we try, try and go across; we, we find a few walk in a few areas now we can go across. We go uphill a little bit and then we go across. Yeah, yeah, that’s. So, it, we find it easier because it’s like two walk, one fast and one slow; so, I’m in the slow walk [laughs]. Oh right, OK. Yeah. We walk for about a hour, hour and a half sometimes. Oh, that’s good then. Do, so do, do you feel, do you feel better for that then? Do you feel a benefit of that? Yeah, I look forward for, for that, an activity, yeah.Robert looks forward to his weekly walking group.
Robert looks forward to his weekly walking group.
Lawrence told us about the marathon running he used to do all over the world. He still likes to exercise by walking to town or in the hills nearby.
Lawrence: This was the, these were the, these were the runs. Oh right, so all the different marathons that you’ve done? Lawrence: So, all these marathons, right, yeah, on my, my, right, right. Daughter: Your mate, he gave you that for your birthday, didn’t he? Lawrence: Ah yeah, that was, that was. Daughter: And you’ve done; but tell them about the London Marathon, how many times you’ve done that. Lawrence: Four times; we did do it. Daughter: You can still run now, can’t you? Lawrence: I wish, I wish, it would, it’d be nice [laughs]. Daughter: But we do lots of walking, don’t we, dad, we do lots of walking every day. Lawrence: Yeah, yeah, go out a good walk, yeah, so. So, do you, do you sort of know; where do, where do you walk from here, into the countryside or around the town? Lawrence: Right round the town, that area, get things round, the walking things, with my wife and, or just me walking and; yeah, oh I, because you get, oh no, I’ll go, I’ll do the walks. Daughter: You like the market square, don’t you? Lawrence: Market square. Daughter: Because all the old men gather there. Lawrence: Yeah, that’s it. Daughter: You, you and the old gits go up to the market square, don’t you? Lawrence: That’s it, yeah, yeah, yeah, so.Lawrence keeps fit walking everyday with his daughter.
Lawrence keeps fit walking everyday with his daughter.
I like to walk, I walk over- I can walk a long way outside, inside and all the rest of it; that keeps me going. I’ve got to do that [laughs]. Yeah, that’s good, every, yeah, everybody should walk plenty shouldn’t they? But I’m otherwise fit. Good. Quite fit. Yes, well yes. So, I like to, you like to keep going and; I go for the, for the paper every morning, which is about, it’s about, more than half a mile, so it’s, it’s a mile or so, things like that and. That’s good. I try to, I’ve always been moving for walk, for walks and things like that. Oh yeah. But I like to, like to, like to do that. That’s what’s kept you fit, isn’t it? Yeah. Keeps you. Oh, it is, yes, yeah. So, you, so the paper shop’s, what, half a mile up there and you, you want, you go up and get your paper every morning and? That’s right, yeah, yeah. You can, you can see it’s about half a mile away, so [laughs] perhaps a little bit more than that but it’s fine, it’s my, it’s great really. I like to have that, that move, keep moving.David walks to collect his daily paper.
David walks to collect his daily paper.
Gyms and sports groups that support people with dementia
Andrew goes to his local gym at least three times a week. When he is on holiday in Europe they rent a place with gym facilities, which he loves. The gym where Derek goes is really supportive and dementia-inclusive. His wife or sons go along with him to set up the weights.
Lorraine: Well you’ve even got a t-shirt; the gym where Derek goes in the next village have done a t-shirt and sweatshirt with, “I have dementia, what’s your problem?” on it, as a bit of humour, but also to let people know; and then if I’m in the gym with Derek, setting weights up and such, they’re not thinking what’s this weird woman doing in here [laughs] doing all, you know, because I’m not there participating, unfortunately, though I should [Derek laughs] so I’m doing all this for Derek and at least people have an inkling that Derek’s needing some assistance when he’s wearing these t-shirts and such. Derek: Mm. So, what do you tend to do at the gym? Derek: Oh, pumping iron and all that [laughs] and a little bit of running about and; yeah, I do quite a lot. Do you enjoy it? Derek: Yeah, I love it; it’s, it’s a godsend for me because Lorraine can drop me there and go and have a few. Lorraine: No, I don’t, I come with you. Derek: I know. Lorraine: I come with you [laughs] I’m your personal trainer [laughs]. Derek: No, because; that’s right, that’s right, yeah, yes. So many people! [laughter]. Lorraine: In fact, he’s begging for mercy at the end, aren’t you? Derek: Yeah. Lorraine: No more, no more. Derek: No more, no more, Lorraine. [Lorraine laughs] How often do you go? Derek: Like two, two days a week, yeah? Lorraine: Yeah, we try for a three day. Derek: Yeah. Lorraine: [son] normally takes you and then I try and do two extra days. Derek: Mm. Lorraine: Depending what we’ve got on the calendar to do, yeah. But he’s, he’s always been big on his fitness, as we’ve said. I mean previously, we’ve had to let stuff go now, but just here, within the home, he, you used to have your weights bench, didn’t you? Derek: Yeah Lorraine: And he used to do weights within the house didn’t you?Derek has always been keen on sport and fitness.
Derek has always been keen on sport and fitness.
Finding out about groups and services in the local area can open up connections with all sorts of facilities. Ray and Barbara found a group where all sorts of sports and games are going on.
Barbara: There’s loads and loads of things that we could do and… Ray: I mean while we’re, while we’re playing. Barbara: Table tennis. Ray: Table tennis. Barbara: Oh yeah. Ray: Down the bottom end. Barbara: There’s board games isn’t there? Ray: There’s, yeah, there’s. Barbara: There’s a Scrabble group [laughs]. Ray: Our table’s out and they’re; what are they doing? Barbara: Well Scrabble mostly. Ray: That’s right. Barbara: It used to be, it started off just table tennis and there weren’t a phenomenal amount of people going, perhaps six, eight maybe, so they’ve then decided, well there’s, they opened it up for other games, and actually [facilitator]’s got things like Velcro darts and sort of hoops on a, you know, hoopla type thing, although they’re not used, I have to say, because the people come and play Scrabble, a lot of people play Scrabble, chess, some very serious things go on down the other end of the room. [laughter]. But, so it’s nice actually because it’s, it’s another, another activity so yes. A sociable space isn’t it? Barbara: Yeah, yeah. But I mean table tennis is fun isn’t it? Barbara: It is. And it’s really active. Barbara: It is. It is, it is I know [laughs]. But, as I say, and it is fun. Ray: Yeah. Barbara: But I don’t know whether it’s… You have a laugh. Barbara: Yeah, you do have a laugh. More so than badminton and tennis, I don’t know whether it’s because you’re so physically close, I don’t know what it is, why it’s, it is like that, but it is [laughter]. It’s fast as well, like you’ve got, you know. Barbara: Yeah. That sounds fun, yeah. Barbara: Mm, it’s good for your reflexes, yeah. Ray: Yeah, and we can have a cup of a tea or coffee as well [Barbara laughs] can’t we? Barbara: We do have to, well no we don’t have to. Ray: And biscuits we do have. Barbara: It’s all free.There’s lots on offer in Ray and Barbara’s local community.
There’s lots on offer in Ray and Barbara’s local community.
Eric and Ros moved to a retirement village when Eric was diagnosed with Parkinson’s and cognitive problems. They find the place really sociable and the facilities are great.
You’ve been asked to do exercises, is it like a, do you do them in the home or do you go out walking or? Eric: Well on the whole it’s in the house and there is a gym here where there are various bits of equipment that you can. Ros: You go, when pressed. Eric: There is a swimming pool as well and I’m not very good at swimming and I don’t enjoy it very much and, but we do it from time-to-time. Eric: We do exercises here, don’t we? Ros: Yes. Eric: On the, and what is it, Hi, Tai-Chi or? Ros: YouTube and we do Pilates here at the [retirement village] and Tai-Chi. Ah OK. In, in, somewhere else in the building? Ros: In, in, yes, they’ve got a studio. Eric: There, there’s a gym room. Ros: Yes, gym. Oh, that’s nice. Ros: Yes. Eric: Yes. Do you, so do you, do you get on all right with doing that, the Pilates and? Ros: Yes, you do. Eric: Reasonably well. Ros: Mm. Eric: Yes. I’ve always fancied Tai-Chi but I haven’t done it, is it a bit difficult to balance? Eric: My balance is my difficult bit and I can’t do that. Ros: But you keep trying. Eric: Mm? Ros: You keep trying.There is a gym and a pool in the retirement village where Eric and Ros live.
There is a gym and a pool in the retirement village where Eric and Ros live.
Even small villages sometimes run classes and exercise groups.
Keith and his wife go to a fitness class each week.
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