It’s no secret that aging is associated with cognitive decline – and that sure is scary. As we reach our 50’s and 60’s, we are afraid of becoming fragile, weak and dependent. We become frightened by the idea that our
It’s no secret that aging is associated with cognitive decline – and that sure is scary. As we reach our 50’s and 60’s, we are afraid of becoming fragile, weak and dependent. We become frightened by the idea that our once bubbly and wise selves will be incapable of performing simple, daily activities – forcing us to rely on others for help. On top of all this, the thought of losing our memory, focus and learning abilities is beyond terrifying.
And for those of us who have parents or grandparents, it’s equally as scary to have to witness our loved ones experience symptoms of mental decline. However, scientists and researchers have been focusing on finding prevention methods and there continues to be promising news.
So you’ve landed on this article expecting to see a boring ol’ list of 6 tips that you should follow. Well, not today! The following read is a guidance program that consists of 6 letters designed carefully for you to learn something new each day and to accumulate that information over the week. Since you only have one letter to read per day, you will have the time to focus and fully understand each helpful hint. This will make the process much more manageable.
Today you will start by reading the first letter (Advice #1) – take notes and/or discuss the read with a family member if you feel like that would a helpful step towards remembering the information.
Tomorrow you will read the second letter (Advice #2) and so forth. Keep in mind that this process is cumulative, meaning you should add on information as the days go by.
At the end of the week, you will have learned and understood the importance of 6 lifestyle advices that you should consistently practice and keep in mind in order to enhance your mental edge and keep your brain healthy. Let’s get started!
Advice #1 – Train Your Brain
Hello and welcome!
Congratulations on taking the step to read this letter today – you are now beginning your journey towards developing a healthier brain and a stronger mental edge. Today’s topic is mental stimulation aka how to train your brain. You will be provided with a series of different activities that you can try everyday to challenge your memory, concentration and learning skills. After reading this letter, you will also form a better understanding of how daily brain exercises can help keep your mind sharp and focused.
Professor Henry Brodaty, a leading dementia researcher who has studied Alzheimer’s and related mental decline issues for over 30 years says that people who train their brain and thus use it more are “less likely to get Alzheimer’s”.1
Still not convinced?
To support Professor Brodaty’s point, a study including senior volunteers at the University of Sydney’s Brain & Mind Research Institute was conducted. In this study, older folks were asked to complete a sort of ‘brain workout’, which included a variety of different brain training exercises. After the training, the participants underwent a brain scan and the results showed that those who did the ‘brain workout’ had improved connectivity in the hippocampus – area of the brain in charge of memory and learning.1
So how does mental stimulation make your brain sharper and less likely to deteriorate?
Well, a research study at the University of Berkeley, California answers the question with their results, which were published in the Archives of Neurology.2 It seems that people who engaged in cognitive stimulating activities had a lower buildup of beta-amyloid – atype of toxic protein that is present in those with Alzheimer’s.2
Now that you understand how daily mental stimulation supports brain health, what types of activities should you engage in? Well, there’s a lot to choose from so take your pick.
- Get in touch with your younger self and play some games. Crossword puzzles, for instance, challenge the brain and keep your neurons activated. You can even play Sudoku while the kids are watching TV. Or get the whole family involved and enjoy a board game after dinner! Play for an hour or two, 3-4 times a week.
- The most effective of way to maintain or improve memory is by practicing memorization. This one’s easy! Try to remember the different capital cities of every country that you know or recall all 50 U.S. states. Also, next time you get someone’s phone number or address, write it down and try to remember it. With phone numbers, it’s best to split them into 3-digit intervals – this makes it more manageable.
- Keep learning! If you think that being 60 means you’re too old to start learning something new, you are beyond wrong! It doesn’t have to be something as complicated as learning a new language or an instrument, but picking up the newspaper and learning about the world’s current events counts.
So to recap, mental stimulation benefits the brain by keeping it alert and improving memory capacity. You can engage in activities such as board games, reading and memorizing to train your brain at a daily basis. And that’s all for today, folks! See you back here tomorrow.
Everyone at LumUltra
Advice #2 – Always Stay Social
Hey