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- Written by: Brian Ho, University of Florida and Ronald Cohen, University of Florida
People in the oldest stage of life who regularly engage in aerobic activities and strength training exercises perform better on cognitive tests than those who are either sedentary or participate only in aerobic exercise. That is the key finding of our new study, published in the journal GeroScience.
We assessed 184 cognitively healthy people ranging in age from 85 to 99. Each participant reported their exercise habits and underwent a comprehensive battery of neuropsychological tests that were designed to evaluate various dimensions of cognitive function.
We found that those who incorporated both aerobic exercises, such as swimming and cycling, and strength exercises like weightlifting into their routines – regardless of intensity and duration – had better mental agility, quicker thinking and greater ability to shift or adapt their thinking.
Using a well-known cognitive screening tool called the Montreal Cognitive Assessment that provides a balanced view of many aspects of cognition, we found that people who didn’t engage in any physical exercise scored lower than those who did both cardio and strength training. This difference was slight but significant even when controlling for other factors like education and how much people exercised. In addition, the group that did both types of exercises did better in specific cognitive activities, like symbol coding, beyond just the screening results.
It’s important to note that while our study establishes a correlation between a mix of aerobic and strength training exercises and higher cognitive test scores, the design of the study did not enable us to determine a causal relationship.
Nonetheless, the results suggest that a varied exercise routine is associated with improved cognitive functioning in people who are in their late 80s and beyond. We conducted the study as part of a large, multisite collaboration with the McKnight Brain Research Foundation, which has institutes at the University of Florida, the University of Miami, the University of Arizona and the University of Alabama-Birmingham.
Why it matters
The aging of the global population makes cognitive health a pressing issue. The number of people diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease in the U.S. is projected to reach almost 14 million by 2060, up from just over 6 million as of 2020. Our findings not only offer hope for healthier aging but also present a practical approach to maintaining or even enhancing cognitive health in the last decades of life.
These results are not just numbers; they represent real-world thinking abilities that can affect the quality of life for those entering their golden years.
The fact that nearly 70% of our study participants were already engaging in some physical exercise prior to signing up for our study challenges the stereotype that old age and physical inactivity must go hand in hand.
Our findings provide an evidence base for health care providers to consider recommending a mixed regimen of aerobic and strength exercises as part of their patients’ wellness plans. Studies show that when cognitive decline is slowed, people spend less on medical care and experience a higher quality of life.
What’s next
Some of the next questions we hope to answer include: What types of aerobic and strength exercises are most effective for cognitive health? Is walking as effective as jogging? Does lifting weights have the same impact as resistance band exercises? And how much exercise is needed to see noticeable cognitive benefits?
Another critical question is the potential of exercise as a treatment for neurocognitive disorders among older people. Our results suggest that physical activity is a preventive measure. But could it also be an active treatment for cognitive decline? This is an exciting development and one that is opening up all sorts of new possibilities for helping people live fully across their entire life span.
The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.
Brian Ho, PhD Candidate in Clinical & Health Psychology, University of Florida and Ronald Cohen, Professor of Clinical and Health Psychology, University of Florida
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office identified the crash victim as William John Sappington, 64.
The California Highway Patrol’s Clear Lake Area office said its officers responded to the crash at approximately 10:39 a.m. Saturday.
The CHP said the crash occurred on Trail 17, near Scotts Creek Road, in the Cow Mountain Recreation Area.
The CHP’s Monday report said that its officers’ preliminary investigation indicates that Sappington was driving his 2007 Toyota sport utility vehicle northbound on Trail 17 at an unknown speed.
For reasons that the CHP said are still being investigated, Sappington’s Toyota traveled off the trail, and overturned down an embankment an unknown number of times.
Sappington, who the CHP said was not wearing his seat belt, was ejected while his SUV overturned down the embankment.
The CHP said Sappington died at the scene of his injuries.
Neither alcohol nor drug use are suspected in this collision, the CHP said.
The CHP said the collision remains under investigation.
At the time Sappington’s wreck occurred Saturday morning, the Bureau of Land Management was holding a cleanup and beautification event based at the Westside Staging Area at South Cow Mountain as part of National Public Lands Day.
BLM officials did not respond by the end of the business day on Monday to Lake County News’ questions about whether Sappington had been a volunteer taking part in the cleanup event.
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The board will meet beginning at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 26, in the board chambers on the first floor of the Lake County Courthouse, 255 N. Forbes St., Lakeport.
The meeting can be watched live on Channel 8, online at https://countyoflake.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx and on the county’s Facebook page. Accompanying board documents, the agenda and archived board meeting videos also are available at that link.
To participate in real-time, join the Zoom meeting by clicking this link.
The meeting ID is 923 0743 2663, pass code 479439. The meeting also can be accessed via one tap mobile at +16699006833,,92307432663#,,,,*479439#.
All interested members of the public that do not have internet access or a Mediacom cable subscription are encouraged to call 669-900-6833, and enter the Zoom meeting ID and pass code information above.
At 1:30 p.m., the board will hold a discussion regarding the state’s draft emergency information order regulations for the Clear Lake Watershed.
Public Works Director Scott De Leon’s memo to the board explains that on Sept. 5, the State Water Resources Control Board issued draft emergency information order regulations together with a notice of opportunity for public comment and staff workshop.
He said the proposed regulations are in response to the Governor's Executive Order N-5-23.
“These regulations, if enacted, give the State the authority to require every water right holder or ‘water user’ in the Clear Lake Watershed to submit reports of water usage,” De Leon wrote. “The information they could collect includes: groundwater well location and depth, extraction rates or volumes, timing and frequency of extractions, beneficial uses, and any other information that the State deems relevant to their hitch protection efforts. As written, these regulations would apply to all municipal water system operators, all landowners with wells — including individual private and/or agricultural water supplies — and littoral property owners who draft water from water bodies such as creeks or Clear Lake. These regulations could apply to every property in the Clear Lake Watershed, regardless of its proximity to the lake, creeks or streams where Hitch could exist.”
De Leon said the regulations “have the potential for significant impacts.”
He said the state has scheduled two public workshops, at 2 p.m. Oct. 19 in the board chambers at 10 a.m. Oct. 24 via Zoom — for the purposes of public participation.
In other business, during an item timed for 9:45 a.m., the supervisors will receive a presentation by North Coast Opportunities on the Lake County Home Hardening Program.
In an untimed item, the board will consider a response to the 2022-23 Lake County Civil Grand Jury Final Report.
The full agenda follows.
CONSENT AGENDA
5.1: (a) Appoint Supervisor Jessica Pyska to the National Association of Counties, or NACo, Steering Committee; and (b) Appoint Supervisor Bruno Sabatier to the National Association of Counties Steering Committee.
5.2: Adopt resolution of the county of Lake Board of Supervisors approving, authorizing and directing execution of a joint exercise of powers agreement relating to the California Cannabis Authority and authorize the chair to sign.
5.3: Approve award of bid for the Chalk Mountain Bridge Replacement Project, Bid No. 23-34, Federal Aid Project No. BRLO-5914(094), with Stewart Engineering Inc. in the amount of $6,176,906, and authorize the chair to execute the agreement and the notice of award.
5.4: Waive the competitive bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 2-38.2 based on the unique nature of the goods; b) authorize Special Districts administrator/assistant purchasing agent to issue a purchase order not to exceed $136,000 to WesTech for the purchase of a 480 CUF of Media AC.
5.5: Waive the competitive bidding process, pursuant to Lake County Code Section 2-38.2 based on the unique nature of the goods; b) authorize Special Districts administrator/assistant purchasing agent to issue a purchase order not to exceed $91,000 to WesTech for the purchase of a 320 CUF of Media AC.
5.6: Approve contract between county of Lake and People Services Inc. for yard maintenance, in the amount of $9,656.87 per fiscal year from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2026, and authorize the chair to sign.
TIMED ITEMS
6.2, 9:15 a.m.: Presentation of Employee Service Awards.
6.3, 9:30 a.m.: Hearing, consideration of requested hearing (appeal) by Thomas Armitage for a notice of nuisance and order to abate and notice of violation issued against 180 Schindler Street, Clearlake Oaks APN# 035-391-08. Property owner: Thomas Armitage.
6.4, 9:45 a.m.: Consideration of presentation by North Coast Opportunities on the Lake County Home Hardening Program.
6.5, 10:30 a.m.: (a) Consideration of presentation of the summary of hitch spawning 2023 from the Lake County Fish and Wildlife Advisory Committee; (b) consideration of Lake County Fish and Wildlife Advisory Committee’s recommendation to Approve $5,400 to Support the Robinson Rancheria & California Department of Fish and Wildlife Program to eradicate carp from Clear Lake.
6.6, 11 a.m.: Public hearing, continued from Sept. 19, consideration of draft ordinance amending Chapter 5 of the Lake County Code relating to permitting agriculture-exempt and temporary cannabis processing structures, and amending Chapter 27 of the Lake County Code regarding mitigation fees, and amending Article 68 of the Zoning Ordinance regarding definitions of temporary building types.
6.7, 1 p.m.: Consideration of Chapter 8 agreement sale of tax defaulted properties with city of Clearlake.
6.8, 1:30 p.m.: Consideration of discussion regarding the state’s draft emergency information order regulations for the Clear Lake Watershed.
UNTIMED ITEMS
7.2: Consideration of and direction to staff to develop video in support of Oct. 5 Presentation to the Lake County Board of Supervisors.
7.3: Consideration of response to the 2022-23 Lake County Civil Grand Jury Final Report.
7.4: Consideration of presentation on broadband initiatives.
7.5: Consideration of a) request for exemption from competitive bidding pursuant to Section 38.1 of the County of Lake Purchasing Ordinance; and b) agreement between county of Lake and Resource Development Associates for consultation and support in the Community Program Planning, or CPP, process in the amount of $310,920 for fiscal years 2023-24, 2024-25, 2025-26 and authorize the board chair to sign.
Email Elizabeth Larson at
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- Written by: Elizabeth Larson
The National Weather Service’s Eureka office said the early season atmospheric river storm will bring strong and gusty southerly winds through Monday, with moderate to heavy rain will increase on Monday as a frontal boundary crosses the area.
Forecasters said rain may not occur in Mendocino and Lake counties until late afternoon or early evening on Monday. Portions of southern Lake County may not even get any precipitation until mid or late evening.
Lake County is not expected to receive more than a third of an inch during the storm.
There is the potential for additional showers and cooler air to follow through mid week, with drier weather conditions expected toward the end of the week and the weekend, the forecast said.
With the southern portion of the Eureka office’s forecast area — which includes Lake County — expected to receive the least amount of rain from the atmospheric river storm, “fire weather concerns will once again crop up over the weekend,” the National Weather Service reported.
The forecast also noted that the “dry offshore wind flow will also promote drying for the interior valleys and the concerns for frost and freezing temperatures will increase.”
Winds in Lake County are forecast to be up to 20 miles per hour on Tuesday night and slightly higher on Wednesday, the National Weather Service reported.
Temperatures this week are anticipated to be in the low 70s during the day and the high 40s at night, the forecast said.
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