A health newsletter for adults over 60 who want to live fully, stay engaged in life, and continue doing what they love!

Why Your Brain Belongs in Your Workout

Most of us think about exercise as something we do for our muscles, heart, or balance. But the brain has an important role in every movement we make—and it deserves to be trained too.

Everyday life rarely asks us to move without thinking. We walk while talking. We step around obstacles while carrying something. We turn when someone calls our name. We try to remember what we were doing while moving through a busy room.

That is why brain-body exercises can be so valuable.

Brain-body exercises combine movement with a mental challenge. They may ask you to count, remember a rule, react to a cue, name items in a category, or switch from one task to another while moving.

These activities challenge more than muscles. They work on attention, coordination, reaction time, balance, and the ability to shift focus. Those are all skills we use in real life—especially when we are distracted, tired, or faced with something unexpected.

Many of our clients also report feeling sharper over time when they regularly do brain-body exercises. That does not mean every exercise feels easy—sometimes the challenge is the point—but it can be encouraging to notice that tasks requiring focus, coordination, and quick thinking begin to feel more manageable with practice.

Try This: The Rule-Switch March

Stand near a kitchen counter, sturdy chair, or wall for support. This exercise can also be done seated.

1. Begin marching slowly in place.
2. Each time your right knee comes up, say the next number in order: 1, 2, 3, 4…
3. Each time your left knee comes up, say the next letter in the alphabet: A, B, C, D…
4. After 20–30 seconds, switch the rules:
   • Right knee = letters
   • Left knee = numbers

The goal is not to go fast. The goal is to keep moving while your brain remembers the rule and adjusts when the rule changes.

Seated option: Sit tall toward the front of a sturdy chair with both feet flat on the floor. Alternate lifting one foot at a time as if you are marching. Use the same pattern: right foot = numbers and left foot = letters. After 20–30 seconds, switch the rules. Try to keep your posture upright and avoid leaning back into the chair. 

What This Exercise Is Doing

For your body:
Marching works on hip strength, leg endurance, posture, rhythm, and balance. Each knee lift also creates a brief single-leg balance challenge.

For your brain:
The number-and-letter pattern requires attention and working memory. Switching which leg goes with numbers and letters challenges cognitive flexibility—the ability to change gears when the task changes.

For daily life:
This exercise is similar to the multitasking we do every day: moving while thinking, walking while talking, or adjusting when something changes around us.

Start with 30 seconds. Move slowly, and keep one hand close to a stable surface if balance is a concern. If the thinking portion makes you unsteady, slow the movement down or do it seated.

If brain-body exercises feel difficult at first.  Keep working on them.  As with most things, you will improve with consistent practice.

Have a Wonderful Weekend!

Kristen Nielsen

Thanks to a generous donation from one of our clients to "Give Em Heaven", we have partnered with Peak Pickleball to offer our Body, Brain & Balance class for adults 55+ at a reduced rate!!!

This class is designed to help you improve strength, agility, balance, and confidence. You do not need to be a Peak Pickleball member—or a pickleball player—to participate.

Along with the weekly class, participants receive a guided workout plan on their phone to use between classes. The workouts require only simple, portable equipment, making them easy to complete at home or while traveling.

The monthly cost is just $35 for Peak Pickleball members and $50 for non-members—a program valued at $145 per month. We're so thankful for the donation that makes this possible!!!

Classes begin Monday, July 13, with options at 7:00 AM or 9:00 AM. We’ll meet once a week for class, and you’ll complete guided home workouts on your own throughout the rest of the week. Participants who consistently meet their weekly workout goals will be eligible for prizes and recognition along the way!

Join us for some fun!!!!!

Email me at [email protected] for more information, and check out the class website HERE.

Grilled Honey Mustard Chicken Drumsticks & Vegetables

Serves 4–6

Ingredients

• 8 chicken drumsticks
• 1 pound baby potatoes, halved
• 1 pound green beans, trimmed
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Salt and pepper

For the sauce:

• ¼ cup Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika

For the grill

1. Preheat the grill to medium heat, about 375–400°F.
2. Make the honey mustard sauce as written. Set aside about one-third of it for brushing on near the end.
3. Lightly oil the grill grates. Place the drumsticks over indirect heat if your grill allows it. Brush with some of the sauce.
4. Grill with the lid closed for about 30–40 minutes, turning every 8–10 minutes and brushing lightly with sauce as they cook.
5. Move the drumsticks over direct heat for the last 3–5 minutes to brown the outside, watching closely because the honey can burn.
6. Cook until the thickest part of the chicken reaches 165°F on a meat thermometer.

For the vegetables

Potatoes: Cut small or parboil for 8–10 minutes first. Toss with olive oil, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Grill in a foil packet or grill basket for about 20–30 minutes, stirring once or twice.

Green beans: Toss with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill in a basket or foil packet for about 8–12 minutes, until tender with a little char.

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 719-286-9450

Website: www.TogetherWon.com

Caregiver Program:  www.Strong.TogetherWon.com