Health
Alzheimer’s patient, 90, says skiing and other activities keep him mentally sharp
Six years after his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, 90-year-old Zelik (Zel) Bocknek refuses to slow down — and he believes his active lifestyle is key to keeping his symptoms at bay.
Bocknek, a retired business owner in Toronto, Ontario, was 84 when he began experiencing minor memory slips, such as forgetting the day of the week and not knowing the answers to basic questions.
After being diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment due to Alzheimer’s, he was offered the opportunity to join a clinical trial studying an experimental dementia drug, lecanemab (LEQEMBI), which was approved in July 2023.
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Since the trial ended 18 months ago, Bocknek has continued taking the medication and still enjoys his favorite activities, including downhill skiing, painting and volunteering at the local zoo.
Six years after his Alzheimer’s diagnosis, 90-year-old Zelik (Zel) Bocknek (pictured at right with his son) still pursues his love of skiing. (Zelik Bocknek)
“You have to keep yourself active, both physically and mentally,” Bocknek told Fox News Digital in an interview. “It’s important to stay busy.”
“Last year was the first time in over 70 years that I didn’t ski because it was such a mild winter,” he said. “I’m keeping my fingers crossed that this year will be better.”
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Bocknek also regularly works out at the gym to stay in prime skiing shape, he and his wife, Gail Bocknek, told Fox News Digital during an interview.
His exercises of choice are stretch classes and strength training with weights.
Painting has become another passion project. Since starting with paint-by-numbers projects, Bocknek has cultivated his skills and now paints complex works of art for his six grandchildren to display in their bedrooms.
“I’m now on my 75th painting,” he said.
Zail Bocknek is pictured with his wife, Gail. “You have to keep yourself active, both physically and mentally,” Bocknek told Fox News Digital in an interview. “It’s important to stay busy.” (Zelik Bocknek)
Volunteering is also part of his regular routine — Bocknek works as a greeter at the Toronto Zoo, where he welcomes and guides visitors, and also puts in hours at a local hospital.
He also regularly plays bridge with three different groups throughout the week.
Bockneck has not experienced any additional cognitive decline, which he attributes to his busy schedule.
“I am what I am today because I have been very active throughout my life, physically and mentally.”
“I am what I am today because I have been very active throughout my life, physically and mentally,” he said.
“And it’s important to be able to laugh — a sense of humor gets you through a lot of difficult times.”
Fighting Alzheimer’s with exercise
Physical activity increases blood flow to the brain, which preserves the health of neurons, according to Dr. Gail Saltz, associate professor of psychiatry at the New York Presbyterian Hospital Weill-Cornell School of Medicine.
“This includes cognitive functions, memory functions and even centers related to mood,” Saltz, who has not treated Bocknek, told Fox News Digital.
“To be clear, this will not stop the progression of Alzheimer’s disease, but it may slow its cognitive effect.”
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Beyond cognition, exercise also helps to improve patients’ physical health, including their cardiovascular system, flexibility and muscular systems, Saltz noted.
“Improving or preventing the decline of these body systems also helps the Alzheimer’s patient by allowing them to be continued participants in daily grooming, walking, going to appointments, physically feeling better and extending life,” she added.
Spending time outdoors in the sunshine also increases serotonin, which can be beneficial for Alzheimer’s patients, an expert noted. (Zelik Bocknek)
Physical activity can also help to prevent nighttime wandering, a common danger among Alzheimer’s patients due to dysfunction in their circadian rhythms, according to Sherri Snelling, a gerontologist and spokesperson for Comfort Keepers in California.
“Keeping an Alzheimer’s adult physically active during the day will help to create more natural exhaustion so they can achieve better sleep during the night,” Snelling, who also has not treated Bocknek, told Fox News Digital.
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Spending time outdoors in the sunshine also increases serotonin, the expert noted, which can help to decrease agitation or episodes of “sundowning,” which is when patients have outbursts, delusions and paranoia during dusk.
Any activity that increases heart rate can slow the progression of Alzheimer’s, the experts agreed.
“Any movement releases endorphins, which are ‘feel-good’ hormones and natural pain relievers,” Snelling said.
“I’m relaxed and going on with my life as best I can, for as long as I can.”
Snelling recommended several specific activities that are most beneficial for dementia patients.
“Walking is great – and doing it with help is important, because balance issues may cause a loved one to fall,” she said.
Yoga or tai chi are also recommended for older adults with Alzheimer’s.
Bocknek has cultivated his painting skills and now creates complex works of art for his six grandchildren to display in their bedrooms. One of his paintings is displayed here. (Zelik Bocknek)
“Swimming or water aerobics are also wonderful for older adults – the natural resistance of the water is great for muscle strength, and the tactile feel of the water is soothing to AD adults,” Snelling said, adding that it’s important for a companion or caregiver to be present for safety.
Making music is also helpful, she said, as musical memory is retained the longest in an Alzheimer’s brain.
Staying social
Socialization and interaction can also help to slow dementia-related decline, according to Snelling.
“It has been reported that we can prevent cognitive decline and delay the onset of Alzheimer’s if we keep mentally active and frequently participate in social activities,” she told Fox News Digital.
This is another reason that Snelling is a proponent of in-home care.
“While they are able to do so, it’s important for Alzheimer’s patients to remain at home, in familiar surroundings,” she said.
Another of Bocknek’s paintings is pictured here. “I’m now on my 75th painting,” he told Fox News Digital. (Zelik Bocknek)
Alzheimer’s cases in the U.S. are projected to rise from six million to 13 million by 2050.
To others who may be experiencing cognitive symptoms, Bocknek says it’s important to take steps to get a diagnosis as soon as possible.
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“As soon as you feel there’s any sort of problem with your memory or your brain, go to get tested,” he advised.
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When asked about whether he’s concerned about worsening symptoms, Bocknek said, “I’m not worried about it.”
“I’m relaxed and going on with my life as best I can, for as long as I can.”
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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
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