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Aging, Brain Exercise, Balance Your Mental And Emotional Health

Changes to your body and brain are normal as you age. However, there are some things you can do to help slow any decline in memory and lower your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease or other dementia. Here are things I recommend in order of importance:

1. Get plenty of sleep.

Sleep plays an important role in your brain health. There are some theories that sleep helps clear abnormal proteins in your brain and consolidates memories, which boosts your overall memory and brain health. It is important that you try to get seven to eight consecutive hours of sleep per night, not fragmented sleep of two- or three-hour increments. Consecutive sleep gives your brain the time to consolidate and store your memories effectively.

2. Stay mentally active.

Your brain is similar to a muscle. you need to use it or you lose it. There are many things that you can do to keep your brain in shape, such as doing crossword puzzles or Sudoku, reading, playing cards or putting together a jigsaw puzzle. Consider it cross-training your brain. So incorporate different activities to increase the effectiveness.

3. Read Something Different

Books are portable, free from libraries and filled with infinite interesting characters, information, and facts. Branch out from familiar reading topics. If you usually read history books, try a contemporary novel. Read foreign authors, the classics, and random books. Not only will your brain get a workout by imagining different time periods, cultures and peoples, you will also have interesting stories to tell about your reading, what it makes you think of and the connections you draw between modern life and the words.

4. Make Simple Changes

We love our routines. We have hobbies and pastimes that we could do for hours on end. But the more something is ‘second nature,’ the less our brains have to work to do it. To really help your brain stay young, challenge it. Change routes to the grocery store, use your opposite hand to open doors and eat dessert first. All this will force your brain to wake up from habits and pay attention again.

5. Maintain a regular exercise routine

Engaging in physical activities improves blood circulation throughout your body, including your brain. Even simple exercises such as walking can help keep your body and brain in tip-top shape.

6. Exploit your weaknesses.

If you’re a morning person who’s most productive and alert early in the day, try tackling a creative task late at night, and vice versa if you’re a night owl. Asking your brain to work hard at a time it’s not used to can yield surprising results and works best for creative tasks. You might be surprised at what you can accomplish by flipping the script.

7. Feed your brain.

Organs require nourishment to keep growing. Most people can find a way to improve their diet, whether that means reducing sugar, alcohol, or drinking more water. A balanced diet, especially one rich in fruits and vegetables, is important for brain health. Supplements like ginkgo biloba may also help improve concentration and memory.

8. Get some sunlight.

Sunlight and exercise can sometimes go hand in hand. This mostly depends on what part of the world you live in, how much sunlight is available at different times of the year and how realistic it is for you to spend time in the outdoors. Getting too little sunlight is not good for your brain. Higher levels of vitamin D in your system allow you to perform better, and can even slow down the aging of your brain.

9. Learn a new skill

No matter your age, your brain is capable of learning new skills at any point in your life. It’s a great way to strengthen brain connections because when you learn a new skill, you work multiple areas of your brain. For example, your memory comes into play, your brain learns new movements and you associate things differently. Learning to play an instrument, building a ship in a bottle, learning new dance moves or a new language all challenge your brain in new ways and can add something fun and interesting to your life, to boot.

10. Use all your senses

Try incorporating activities that simultaneously engage all five of your senses, from taking a cooking class to visiting a farmer’s market or food festival to trying a new restaurant. Using all your senses helps to strengthen your brain by focusing on smelling, touching, tasting, seeing and hearing all at the same time.