28 minutes ago
To undertake
GORREDIJK Keeping the brain fit is more than just memory training. The combination of training of body and mind gives better results, as Julia Voskuilen-Rhemrev knows. She teaches cognitive fitness at Unifit. “By exercising, the brain gets a lot more oxygen.”
According to Julia, everyone knows that regular brushing keeps teeth in good condition. But keeping the brain fit is a lot more complex. You have memory tests, concentration exercises, puzzles for spatial awareness, logic riddles. Julia: “You can do all that from the chair. Of course it helps. But the effect is much greater when you combine it with exercise. And that’s what we do in cognitive fitness.”
The success of this combination is easy to explain, says geriatric physiotherapist Hieke van der Veen of De Loefbiter. “By exercising, the whole body gets more oxygen. Nearly a fifth of that oxygen goes to the brain. By training the brain during movement, so many more stimuli and possibilities arise in your brain. You trigger the brain with double tasks.” Julia adds that the brain is very flexible. “Brains can naturally repair your entire life. By repeating the exercises, you improve brain functions.” Hieke: “If one cell does not work, the brain is able to find a detour, if you train the brain to do so.”
Combination
And that is good news for people who have to deal with a non-congenital brain disorder (NAH) such as a brain haemorrhage, a stroke, a coma or Parkinson’s disease or a mild form of dementia. “According to the RIVM, more than 25 percent of the Dutch population has a brain disorder, it is precisely this group that needs cognitive fitness.” Participants in cognitive fitness are given puzzles and assignments to think about, while simultaneously training motor skills such as muscle strength, endurance, coordination and reaction time. “A combination of cognitive challenges, light exercise and relaxation. To reassure you, we don’t do anything with large fitness equipment.”
Also preventive
Julia is certified by Body Brain Dynamics for teaching cognitive fitness. She already has a lot of experience teaching people with Parkinson’s disease. The approach is supported by, among others, the Brain Foundation, the Trimbos Institute and the well-known brain professor Erik Scherder, who is one of the founders. Cognitive fitness is a training method that is tailored to positively influence memory, concentration, coordination and sensory skills; According to Julia, it can also be used as a preventive approach against dementia, for psychological complaints and of course for anyone who wants to keep his or her brain healthy. For example, it helps to keep coordination sharp, better planning and anticipation.
Unifit Supervised Sports and De Loefbiter will provide a free workshop on Tuesday 11 October (10.00-11.00). From October 25, a group training (six to eight people) of fifteen weekly lessons of one and a half hours, every Tuesday (10 am to 11:30 am) will start. Interested parties can report to 0513-463 395 or via [email protected].