04 Sep To Your Health: Weight Lifting and Dementia!
Welcome back to the series which offers a deep dive into the world of health, wellness, and disease prevention with Telluride local Dr. Alan Safdi.
Dr. Alan is a board-certified physician in Internal Medicine and Gastroenterology, a Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology, and a respected leader in healthcare. His blogs have featured and will continue to showcase the most current information in his fields: health, wellness and longevity. During Covid, Dr. Alan went radio silent – until recently. Now Dr. Alan is back in action with “To Your Health.”
In this installment of “To Your Heath, Dr. Alan does a dive deep into the science-backed benefits of resistance training, not just for your muscles, but also for your mind. From lowering the risk of cognitive decline to boosting brain volume, what you do with your body today could directly shape your brain health tomorrow.
Scroll down to read the salient details and listen to the podcast to find out more.
In this week’s “To Your Health,” Dr. Alan explores how something as simple as lifting weights twice a week can increase protective brain proteins like BDNF and irisin; preserve the size of memory-critical brain regions like the hippocampus; and reduce the risk of dementia.
He also breaks down the specific types of resistance training that can help – from bodyweight exercises and resistance bands to free weights and machines – making it accessible for all ages and fitness levels.
The following is more extremely important information for your health and cognitive maintenance not covered directly in the podcast:
• Recent research highlights the fact that even small amounts of exercise has measurable benefits. As little as 10 minutes of brisk movement per day can improve insulin sensitivity, lower blood pressure, and improve mood.
• Increasing to 30 minutes daily or an hour most days compounds benefits even further, leading to improved cardiovascular fitness, reduced chronic disease risk, even longer life expectancy. Importantly, studies show that just 35 minutes per week of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity can lower the risk of dementia by over 40%, with greater durations providing even stronger protection.
• Beyond exercise, diet plays a crucial role. The Mediterranean Diet – rich in extra virgin olive oil, leafy greens, legumes, berries, nuts, and whole grains – has shown significant protective effects against age-related cognitive decline and dementia. The MIND diet, a modified version of the Mediterranean Diet emphasizing brain-supportive foods, has been associated with slower brain aging and improved memory scores, particularly in individuals at high genetic risk (e.g., APOE4 carriers).
When combined, resistance training, aerobic exercise, and an anti-inflammatory diet like the Mediterranean or MIND diet provide a powerful, synergistic defense against cognitive decline, frailty, and chronic disease.
Dr. Alan, more:
Dr. Alan Safdi is board-certified in Internal Medicine and in Gastroenterology and a Fellow of the American College of Gastroenterology. A proven leader in the healthcare arena, he has been featured on the national program, “Medical Crossfire” and authored or co-authored numerous medical articles and abstracts.
Safdi, a long-time Telluride local, has been involved in grant-based and clinical research for four decades. He is passionate about disease prevention and wellness, not just fixing what has gone wrong.
Dr. Alan is an international lecturer on the subjects of wellness, nutrition and gastroenterology and now in partnership on an AI project with Stanford and the Mayo Clinic.
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