Sport Your Mental Muscle With Brain Training
As Baby Boomers grow older, one of their foremost concerns is maintaining peak brain performance. At any age, good cognitive function is the mark of mental health. A fit brain continues to be sharp in the areas of memory, reasoning, language and both spatial and visual acuity.
Are all these vital functions just a matter of chance or do we actually exert some control over them? Let’s take a look at the latest studies on brain fitness.
Old Dogs Do Learn New Tricks
Forget the time-worn adage to the contrary. Studies cited in the July 2009 Scientific American show that “the older brain is more ‘plastic’ (capable of reorganizing neural pathways based on new experiences) than is commonly known.”(1) Older adults may learn a bit more slowly than younger people do, but they can still improve cognition and enhance the quality of life.
There’s no one secret to keeping your grey matter going at full throttle – rather, there are a variety of things you can do to keep your mental edge.
Stay Physical to Remain Quizzical
Everyone knows that when it comes to fitness, you have to “use it or lose it”. Well, it turns out that physical exercise gives your brain a boost. Regular exercise, especially cardio, keeps your arteries strong, which then supply adequate oxygen to your brain. And trust me, your brain thrives on oxygen!
In 2005, Suvi Rovio of the Karolinska Institute in Sweden led a team to study the relationship between physical activity in middle age and the risk of dementia 21 years later, when the test group was aged 65-79. Those who had exercised to the point of sweating and breathlessness for 20-30 minutes at least twice a week during midlife were 52% less likely to develop cognitive disorders.(2) Another study comparing men who walked 2 miles per day to those who walked less than a mile determined that the non-walkers had a 71% higher risk of developing dementia.(3)
Keep Things New and Novel
Your brain hates being bored. That’s why you should never become routine and robotic – your mental health depends on novelty and challenge. The key is intellectual stimulation and constant curiosity. Once any game or activity becomes boring to you, it’s time to switch to something new. The best way to keep brain neurons actively firing is to keep them on their toes.
Beside games and puzzles, one of the best brain fitness activities is learning a new language. Research shows that people who are bilingual have a 4 year delay in the onset of dementia.(4) And if you put yourself on a program of learning not just a language, but another culture – and toss in some travel plans – you’ll be busy learning new things for years! Who needs crosswords with a program like that?
Get Engaged To Stay Sharp
No, I don’t mean marriage and honeymoons – although those are great things at any age. I’m talking about staying engaged with life. Engaged socially with family and friends. Your brain craves social interaction.
Isolation is a killer because it fosters self-focus and depression. All you have to do to engage with other people in your life is to be interested. Most people love talking about themselves and when you spend time communicating with others, learning their perspective on life, remembering all the details of who is who and who did what – your brain is getting a valuable workout.(5) Plus, it keeps you “connected”. You get to share and be part of the give and take that makes the world go round. It’s good stuff.
Remember the Basics
We’ve talked about things you should do to stay mentally alert, but the basics are always there, too. Along with exercise, mental stimulation and social interaction, you must take good care of yourself. Eat a healthy diet, get quality sleep and supplement as necessary. Your brain needs good fuel, so check out Clear Function. It’s a powerhouse formula that energizes your brain with targeted nutrients and vitamins.
Please consult your personal physician before making any adjustments to your diet, exercise or supplement program.
Until next time…
Sources:
- Hertzog, C, Kramer, A, Wilson, R, Lindenberger, U, “Fit Body, Fit Mind? Your Workout Makes You Smarter”, July 2009 Scientific American
- Hertzog, C, Kramer, A, Wilson, R, Lindenberger, U, “Fit Body, Fit Mind? Your Workout Makes You Smarter”, July 2009 Scientific American
- Stibich, Mark, Ph.D, “Brain Games for Brain Fitness” Feb 2009, About.com
- Bialystok, E, Craik, F, Freedman, M, “Bilingualism as a protection against the onset of symptoms of dementia”, Neuropsychologia, Volume 45, Issue 2, 2007, Pages 459-464
- Stibich, Mark, Ph.D, “Brain Games for Brain Fitness” Feb 2009, About.com
Questions and Answers
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