Aging Healthy Part 5, – Keeping Your Brain Healthy

You should keep your brain as active as your body. Keeping your brain active and maintaining creativity can actually help prevent cognitive decline and memory problems.

They say that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, but when it comes to the brain, scientists have discovered that this old adage simply isn’t true. The human brain has an astonishing ability to adapt and change even into old age. This is known as neuroplasticity. With the right stimulation, your brain can form new neural pathways, alter existing connections, and adapt and react in ever-changing ways.

Whether you’re looking to prevent the onset of dementia or delay its progression, when it comes to your brain the key is to “use it or lose it.” In a groundbreaking NIH ACTIVE study, older adults who received as few as 10 sessions of mental training improved their cognitive functioning in daily activities AND they continued to show long-lasting improvements 10 years later.

Activities involving multiple tasks or requiring communication, interaction, and organization offer the greatest benefits. Set aside time each day to train your brain.

Learn something new. Study a foreign language, practice a musical instrument, or learn to paint or sew. One of the best ways to take up a new hobby is to sign up for a class (see part 3 of this series) and then schedule regular times for practicing. The greater the novelty, complexity, and challenge, the greater the benefit.

Raise the bar for an existing activity. Challenge your brain by increasing your skills and knowledge of something you already do. For example, if you can play the piano and don’t want to learn a new instrument, commit to learning a new piece of music or improving how well you play your favorite piece.  If you like to cook, try new recipes or create variations of your favorites.

Practice memorization techniques. Creating rhymes and patterns can strengthen your memory connections. For example: Use initials and acronyms for your short shopping lists instead of writing each item down. For example, say you need bread, butter, coffee and soap from the store later. Thinking BBCaS and recalling what the BBCaS stands for can help strengthen memory pathways. Or maybe make it a tune by singing the words to the melody of a familiar song. Bread butter coffee and soap would work nicely with the London Bridges melody.

Enjoy strategy games, puzzles, and riddles. Brain teasers and strategy games provide a great mental workout and build your capacity to form and retain cognitive associations. Do a crossword puzzle, play board games, cards, or word and number games such as Scrabble or Sudoku.

Vary your habits. You don’t have to work elaborate crosswords or puzzles to keep your memory sharp. Try to work in something new each day, whether it is taking a different route to work or the grocery store or brushing your teeth with a different hand. Varying your habits can help to create new pathways in the brain.

The brain’s incredible ability to reshape itself holds true when it comes to learning and memory. You can harness the natural power of neuroplasticity to increase your cognitive abilities, enhance your ability to learn new information, and improve your memory as you age.

For more information about our services and brain training activities, download our complimentary activity booklet here. It contains puzzles and adult coloring activities that you can enjoy with the grandkids, friends or on your own. You can also call or fill out the form below to learn about us and other resources available.