
Originally Posted by
steve_bank
Not just dementia, The brain atrophies in a manner of speaking when not exercised. It is an empirical fact that stimulation can effect brain cell growth.
Use it or loose it applies to mental faculties as well as the physical body.
On this I speak from experience. When I got back to the forum after about two years in rehab I could barely put together a sentence.I see it around me in the place I am in. People who stay physically and mentally active are healthier and live longer. Those that do not can be observed deteriorating and dying. Death around here is a somewhat routine event.
But, you had some serious health issues. I'm talking about dementia, which often occurs in otherwise healthy people. Oddly enough, soon after my last post, I picked up the Atlanta Journal which has a section on aging on Sundays. It listed physical exercise and socialization as the two known ways to lower the risk of dementia.
I started to post a lot more about this, but then I realized that we are derailing a thread about retirement, so with apologies to Rhea, I'll stop discussing dementia. Most people enjoy retirement without developing it, unless they live to a very advanced age. Then the odds rise significantly, regardless of how much you use your brain. Brain stimulation is healthy but it doesn't necessarily prevent dementia.