The Alzheimer's Rx

This book is for people who are concerned about their or their loved ones' cognitive changes, who want to learn about Alzheimer's disease (AD), and who wish to promote brain health, prevent AD, and improve quality of life when affected by AD. It is also for exercise providers and professionals who endeavor to enrich the lives of people affected by AD. This book was inspired by older adults affected by AD and their family caregivers, whom we have been privileged to work with in our 15+ years of exercise research in AD. They have taught us that no diseases, not even AD, can define a person and a person's legacy. This book has 11 chapters, covering AD course, abnormal brain changes, and risk and protective factors; exercise types and effects on AD; and the Approach AD S.A.F.E.ly(TM) protocol to safely engage people affected by AD in aerobic exercise over time. Each chapter begins with true stories which introduce a chapter's focus and are analyzed at the end. The Approach AD S.A.F.E.ly(TM) protocol has been developed and tested since 2004, building on the foundations of person-centered care and exercise safety. It includes pre-exercise health screening process, individualized exercise prescription, exercise session flow, exercise response monitoring, AD symptom management, effective communication, working with family caregivers and professionals, and motivating people affected by AD to exercise. This book focuses solely on aerobic exercise because the scientific evidence for it is the strongest and changes induced by aerobic exercise prime the brain and body for optimizing the benefits from other interventions. Knowledge is POWER! This book will empower people to make a difference in the lives of people affected by AD. Our participants have repeatedly told us what a difference our exercise program has made in their lives. Many said, "This [exercise] is the only good thing that has happened for having Alzheimer's." We hope this book will help people better appreciate AD and its impacts and motivate them to join our charge of making exercise widely available and a standard treatment for AD. Together, we could make our world dementia-friendly!