It needs to be complemented by healthy dietary choices along with many other healthy lifestyle practices. We believe one of the great challenges for health and wellness providers is getting the desired results for their clients when certain self-defeating behaviours interfere with the health plans. These can be activities such as smoking, unhealthy diet, lack of movement, or a combination of other lifestyle factors. 

This is where the team of BrainFit Resorts can support you.

Our team has designed the Behaviour-Change Support Program to aid the implementation of your health plans with the science of behaviour change.

In our experience, some clients can prove challenging due to their seemingly uncooperative attitude, frequent cancellations, and coming up with excuses on a regular basis for not achieving their desired goals. Yet, in reality the issue is that these clients need a more targeted support approach where they are helped in developing specific skills they require to succeed in implementing the desired changes. 

The Behaviour-Change Support Program can help these clients by first identifying the behavioural patterns that are causing such problems, and introducing robust support systems that will help them make sustainable changes to their daily living. 

Promoting a healthier living is a task easier said than done, but the Behaviour-Change Support Program has a team of doctors and specialists who have a proven track record with helping your clients shift challenging and potentially unhealthy habits. 

The personalised solutions we employ are science-based and results-oriented, and our custom approach to each client creates a unique experience. 

Custom behavioural change strategies that are adapted for each client helps them achieve their prescribed goals and develop lifestyle habits that are health-enhancing and sustainable.

The Behaviour-Change Support Program is currently offering a 21 days free trial program so you and your clients can experience our expertise and capabilities, to uncover if we could be the client solution you’ve been looking for. If you want your clients to achieve improved health and make lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, eating healthy, losing weight or just enhancing their physical activities, then the Behaviour-Change Support Program at BrainFit Resorts is the perfect program.

How does the program work?

• We work with your client as a support team to apply your prescribed wellness plan.
• We apply the latest research into habit formation and behaviour change.
• We use a combination of strategies: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment therapy, clinical hypnosis and mindfulness, delivered remotely via mobile apps, so clients can be supported in their native environments.
• We apply these strategies to achieve your short- and long-term health goals and support your customers with an individualised plan that fits their readiness stage and needs.
• We provide your clients with weekly and daily support with face to face sessions and text messages.
• We will send you a progress report during and at the completion of the program.

What are the benefits to you?

The benefits to healthcare providers include:

• You will increase client satisfaction and the effectiveness of your health care plans.
• You will have the benefits of a support service for your more challenging cases completely for free.
• You will have the opportunity to add your webpage link to our Behavioural Support webpage when you refer just three clients. 

Interested? Contact our Chief Clinical Psychologist, Dr Susanna Zito, at susanna@brainfitresorts.com for more information and to request a client referral form.

From the myriad of information that exists out there, a lot of confusion exists around diets, supplements, and lifestyle.

My answer and there is no question about it, the number one strategy is… physical activity.

Physical activity has been conclusively shown to not only prevent cognitive decline but even improve cognition.

Truly, “what is good for the heart is also good for the brain”.

Where’s the link between physical health and brain health?

There are actually numerous reports, which show a strong connection between cardiovascular health and brain health.

The better the shape of our cardiovascular health, the better our brains operate.

On the opposing side, cardiovascular disease has been shown to be a risk factor for Dementia, as there is an association between cardiac output, regional brain blood flow, and cognitive impairment.

You see, our brains have an elaborate network of blood vessels that are integral to brain function.

These networks supply oxygen and nutrients to brain cells and remove waste products and toxins.

Thus, through increased physical activity, resulting in more blood pumping throughout our bodies, our brain’s networks can push in more oxygen and nutrients and push out more waste products and toxins.

Physical exercise also protects against Dementia by decreasing other chronic diseases, such as obesity, diabetes, and hypertension.

All of which, are commonly associated with being leading factors in developing Dementia and Alzheimer’s in later years.

Both animal and human studies have shown, that physical exercise induces brain growth factors (BDNF, brain-derived neurotrophic factor and IGF1, insulin-like growth factor 1)

These promote the formation of new blood vessels, nerve cells (neurons) and nerve cell connections (synapses), which play a crucial role in our neuroplasticity and protection.

In other words, as we exercise, our brains actually GROW and develop connections.

This is especially important for people entering their Golden Years.

Studies have proven that those who exercise regularly, have increased brain grey-matter volume in regions associated with general intelligence and executive functions.

These include everything from attention to planning and problem-solving skills.

What am I basing this on?

Well, for starters, several studies which followed healthy adults from midlife (mean 45) to old age (mean 80), have shown that high levels of physical fitness at midlife were associated with a 6-10 times lower chance of developing dementia, compared to those who had low or very low cardio-vascular fitness level¹.

A recent review of 39 interventional studies², which randomized adults older than 50 years to an aerobic exercise group (tai chi, or resistance and/or aerobic training) or a control group (just stretching and toning), showed significant improvements in cognitive function after 6-12 months in the aerobic exercise group compared to controls.

The review concluded, that an exercise program with components of both aerobic and resistance-type training, of at least moderate intensity, and for at least 45 min per session, on as many days of the week as possible, is beneficial to cognitive function in adults aged >50 years.

Another recent review³ of interventional studies, which examined the optimal exercise dose for better cognition, concluded that a minimum of 52 total hours over 6 months (2-3 one-hour sessions per week) of any type of physical  activity (cardiovascular exercise, resistance training, and mind-body exercises, or a combination) is associated with improved cognitive performance in older adults.

So, how can we integrate physical activity in our everyday life?

We have used here the terms physical activity and exercise interchangeably, but let’s examine how they differ.

Physical activity is any activity that gets your body moving such as gardening, walking the dog, raking leaves, and taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

An exercise is a form of physical activity that is specifically planned, structured, and repetitive such as weight training, tai chi, or an aerobics class.

We have no reason to believe that they differ in their effects on the brain, but obviously the former is less well quantified and studied.

However, if you can engage in an active lifestyle, which combines both, you will reap tons of benefits to your body health, cognition and mood.

You just need to make it a habit.

If you would like to find out just what kind of physical activity, exercises and habits, you can integrate into living a more active lifestyle, take a look at some of our previous Blog posts.

Click on the links below:

• The Great Benefits Of Yoga
• Why Body Fitness Not Brain Fitness?

Have you seen our Videos?

We publish great new content every week, so be sure to check out our latest videos by clicking the link below, and SUBSCRIBE to our YouTube channel for updates as soon as new videos are posted.

• BrainFit Resorts YouTube Channel

If you would like us to feature a particular topic, or have any questions for us, please leave a comment below, or on our Facebook Page HERE

Until next time… Live Strong, Live Well, Live BrainFit.

REFERENCES – LINKS

1. Midlife cardiovascular fitness and dementia: A 44-year longitudinal population study in women. Neurology. 2018 Apr 10;90(15):e1298-e1305. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29540588
2. Exercise interventions for cognitive function in adults older than 50: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med. 2018 Feb;52(3):154-160. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28438770
3. Exercise for cognitive brain health in aging: A systematic review for an evaluation of dose. Neurol Clin Pract. 2018 Jun;8(3):257-265.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30105166