a well-programmed game of Simon Says. Findings support the enhanced benefits of using choreographed movement patterns to effectively engage the brain. Type of Activity Bicycling Swimming Reading Activities Crossword Puzzles Dancing Cognitive Loss Protection 0% 0% 35% 47% 76% Adapted from Verghese, J. et al. 2003. Leisure Activities and the Risk of Dementia in the Elderly published in the New England Journal of Medicine. N Engl J Med. Of the different activities studied to enhance cognitive functioning, dancing was the superstar, most likely due to the need for split-second decision making and attention to external cues. Aquatic aerobic classes are similar to dance lessons in the way that movements are changed, sometimes randomly, multiple times throughout a session. Therefore, it is essential for fitness instructors to keep routines diverse and programming fresh. Your aquatic programming should include counterintuitive movements. An intuitive movement is a simple movement such as walking; the arms and legs are synchronized, and the skill requires minimal concentration. Counterintuitive is just the opposite. For example, having the legs perform one task Perhaps the most overlooked benefit of aquatic fitness is the opportunity to improve or prevent loss of cognitive function in aging adults. while the arms perform another task, which requires focus and concentration. We’ve all done this when we try to rub our belly, while patting our head. A perfect example for water exercise is performing a jumping-jack leg pattern (bilateral hip abduction and adduction in the frontal plane) while alternately pushing and pulling the water with one arm (uni- lateral shoulder flexion and extension). This involves greater concentration, and in turn requires greater brain function to perform the movement. Aside from choreography and the constant movement in the water, one other factor that influences cognition, believe it or not, is the temperature of the water. Warm water is known to have an abundance of healing and health benefits. It just so happens that it also provides an astounding effect on our brains. The warmth of the water creates a balance in our nervous systems: the sympathetic nervous system (promotes fast-acting responses), and the parasympathetic nervous sys- tem (promotes calm and relaxation). When these two sys- tems are in balance, there tends to be improved memory, concentration, and cognitive processing. Perhaps the most overlooked benefit of aquatic fitness is the opportunity to improve or prevent loss of cognitive function in aging adults. n ET C. INC. EXERCISE Resources Etnier, J.L., P.M. Nowell, D.M. Landers, and B.A. Sibley. 2006. A meta-regression to examine the relationship between aero- bic fitness and cognitive performance. Brain Res Rev. 52(1):119- 30. Harada, C.N., M.C. Natelson Love, and K. Triebel. 2013. Normal Cognitive Aging. Clinics in geriatric medicine 29(4):737–752. PMC. Web. 13 Nov. 2016. “Water Exercise” Home Study Course Earn 15 CECs at your own pace from the comfort of your home and save 70%! Lee S., M.M. Islam, M.E. Rogers, M. Kusunoki , A. Okada, and N. Takeshima. 2011. Effects of hydraulic-resistance exercise on strength and power in untrained healthy older adults. J Strength Cond Res. 25(4):1089-97. Peters, R. 2006.Ageing and the Brain. Postgraduate Medical Journal. 82(964): 84–88. PMC. Web. 13 Nov. 2016. Salthouse, T.A. 2010. Selective Review of Cognitive Aging. Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society. 16(5): 754– 760. PMC. Web. 13 Nov. 2016. Verghese, J., R.B. Lipton, M.J. Katz, et al. 2003. Leisure Activities and the Risk of Dementia in the Elderly. N Engl J Med. 348(25): 2508-16. Author Derek Nestor, BS, grew up in a small town in West Virginia with hopes and dreams of helping others. At WVU, thanks to a great advisor, he found his niche pur- suing a degree in exercise physiology with an emphasis in aquatic therapy. He is currently employed at Country Roads Physical Therapy in Fairmont, WV as a rehabilitation techni- cian and exercise specialist. He plans to attend graduate school, following his dreams of helping as many people as possible. 12 | Akwa | December 2017 / January 2018
