Exercise is Medicine! BC Brain Wellness Exercise Classes

by Jenna Benbaruj

What is the BC Brain Wellness Exercise Program?

The BC Brain Wellness Program offers free evidence-based exercise classes for individuals with chronic brain conditions, care partners, and healthy agers. The purpose of this program is to promote clinically relevant lifestyle approaches to improve and sustain the quality of life and function of participants. The exercise program is evidence-based, which means that the foundation of each class was created in consultation with current research investigating the various benefits of exercise. In general, research suggests that appropriately designed exercise programming has the potential to provide cognitive and physical benefits for the aging brain when conducted safely and performed consistently 1-6.

What are the benefits of exercise?

Evidence suggests that engaging and challenging exercise (whether that be weekly fitness classes, dance lessons, or yoga sessions) can provide several physical and cognitive benefits for healthy aging individuals when performed consistently 1-6. These benefits include improved working memory, balance, strength, and coordination 2-7. Some research also suggests regular exercise can reduce motor (i.e., physical) and cognitive decline in aging individuals 2-7. Evidence also suggests that regular exercise may lead to some improvements in motor symptoms in individuals with Parkinson’s Disease, as well as cognitive improvements in individuals with dementia, Alzheimer’s Disease, or other forms of cognitive impairment 7,8. Regardless of exercise option (i.e., yoga, dance, strength training, cycling, etc.), one of the best ways to maximize the benefits of exercise training is with good adherence or consistency or otherwise known as “sticking with it”!  However, adherence also happens to be one of the biggest struggles for individuals hoping to make a lifestyle change. Therefore, the group exercise classes offered by the BC Brain Wellness program aim to support individuals hoping to make lifestyle changes by providing a sense of community and helping make exercise more enjoyable for each participant. We also offer various types of classes, in efforts to help each participant find a class that they enjoy and is suitable for them.

What kind of classes are offered?

The BC Brain Wellness Program offers several exercise classes with options for individuals of various ages, training levels, and degree of neurocognitive impairment. There are class options that are suitable and appropriate for most (if not all) individuals, including those with dementia or Alzheimer’s Disease, Parkinson’s Disease, Huntington’s Disease, Multiple Sclerosis, and stroke survivors. In addition to the functional, physical, and cognitive benefits of exercise, these classes also provide the opportunity to socialize with individuals with similar conditions or who are in similar circumstances. Some of the class types include dance, yoga, and strength training. Each class also provides the opportunity to modify the exercises according to each individual’s needs.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the assessment and exercise classes are free of charge.

If you or somebody you know might be interested in the exercise classes offered at the BC Brain Wellness Program, feel free to click over to our program page to sign up for an initial assessment, or you can also send us an email at brain.wellness@ubc.ca.

So what are you waiting for?

Make a move to improve!

References:

[1] Barha CK, Galea LA, Nagamatsu LS, Erickson KI, Liu-Ambrose T. Personalising exercise recommendations for brain health: considerations and future directions. Br J Sports Med. 2017;51(8):636-639. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2016-096710

[2] Bray NW, Pieruccini-Faria F, Bartha R, Doherty TJ, Nagamatsu LS, Montero-Odasso M. The effect of physical exercise on functional brain network connectivity in older adults with and without cognitive impairment. A systematic review. Mech Ageing Dev. 2021;196:111493. doi:10.1016/j.mad.2021.111493

[3] Falck RS, Davis JC, Best JR, Crockett RA, Liu-Ambrose T. Impact of exercise training on physical and cognitive function among older adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Neurobiol Aging. 2019;79:119-130. doi:10.1016/j.neurobiolaging.2019.03.007

[4] Hayes SM, Hayes JP, Cadden M, Verfaellie M. A review of cardiorespiratory fitness-related neuroplasticity in the aging brain. Front Aging Neurosci. 2013;5. doi:10.3389/fnagi.2013.00031

[5] Erickson KI, Kramer AF. Aerobic exercise effects on cognitive and neural plasticity in older adults. Br J Sports Med. 2008;43(1):22-24. doi:10.1136/bjsm.2008.052498

[6] Jardim NYV, Bento-Torres NVO, Costa VO, et al. Dual-Task Exercise to Improve Cognition and Functional Capacity of Healthy Older Adults. Front Aging Neurosci. 2021;13:589299. doi:10.3389/fnagi.2021.589299

[7] Song D, Yu DSF, Li PWC., & Lei Y. The effectiveness of physical exercise on cognitive and psychological outcomes in individuals with mild cognitive impairment: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J. Nurs. Stud. 2018;79:155-164. doi:10.1016/j.ijnurstu.2018.01.002

[8] Amara AW, Wood KH, Joop A, et al. Randomized, Controlled Trial of Exercise on Objective and Subjective Sleep in Parkinson’s Disease. Mov Disord. 2020;35(6):947-958. doi:10.1002/mds.28009