10 Ways to Age Proof Your Brain
Living well and enjoying your life is preferable to many people than simply living for a long time. The quality of your life is dependent, among other factors, on the continuing ability of your brain to function well. Evidence continues to be discovered supporting the theory that there are steps you can take now to keep your brain young, even as you advance in years.
There is no magic pill to take which will keep your brain young, but scientific study has some suggestions for activities that are proven to keep the grey matter working at its optimum level for as long as possible.
1. Eat a balanced diet containing plenty of fruit and vegetables. Avoid too much alcohol, sugar or saturated fat. There have been several positive studies in the use of omega-three fish oils which suggest that taking this as a supplement can help keep your brain processing effectively.
2. Make sure you get enough quality sleep on a regular basis, about eight hours per night is the suggested typical amount of sleep the average adult needs. Taking a nap when required has also been shown to be beneficial.
3. Take up dance or a musical instrument. Dancing is a great physical exercise, whilst both dancing and playing an instrument provide mental stimulation and require agility. Complex activities require a lot of mental activity and the more you use your brain, the more brain power you will retain.
4. Learn a foreign language. In the journal, Neurology, a 2013 study found that people who spoke two languages developed dementia an average of four and a half years later than people who only spoke one language. Learning a new language is a great way of age proofing your brain as it flexes a part of the brain that is rarely tested as you age. Language skills utilise brain cells that have become lazy over time.
5. Do crosswords and word puzzles, play card games and take up chess, if you don’t already play. Age proofing your brain can be fun! The mental agility required when playing games is thought by scientists to delay significantly the effects of ageing on the brain and stave off the onset of dementia. Why not join a chess or bridge club? Socialising with other people is also beneficial in keeping your brain young and active.
6. Stop multitasking and concentrate solely on one thing at a time. Studies show that trying to do too much at once effectively overloads your frontal lobe. Concentrating on one task at a time strengthens your reasoning skills.
7. Take up drawing, painting or another handicraft. Whilst being an excellent way of focusing your brain on only one task, these activities also relieve stress, which has been shown to have a detrimental effect on the brain and cognitive function. Put time aside at a certain time of the week to focus on your handicraft or consider joining a local club. The social interaction will also relieve stress and get you communicating with others, both things that are good for age proofing your brain.
8. Research on the internet to find specific brain training and memory games. There are plenty of free, as well as paid-for, options to investigate. These games are specifically designed to flex and test your mental agility, memory and creativity. Just like physical exercise, you have to train your brain regularly to get the best effect. Try a particular game every day for a week and you’ll be surprised how much you will improve your score.
You may also want to consider taking up computer or video games. The fast-moving, decision-making skills they encourage you to develop are great for flexing the grey matter and acquiring new skills.
9. Hand write essays about how you feel about things, or keep a diary. Studies show that handwriting documents allows you to take in and process more information than when you type it on a computer. Writing about the way you feel will also help you to reduce stress. Keeping a regular diary is an effective tool for age proofing your brain. Rather than writing your diary on a daily basis, try writing every few days or once a week. This method will mean that you have to recall events from your mid-term memory as well as your short-term memory, which will help you to build skills in this area.
10. Take up meditation. Meditation works on many different levels, all of them beneficial in keeping your brain active. It decreases the amount of stress you experience; great news for your brain. It also encourages you to focus on one thing at a time, quieting the babble of thoughts in your head and increasing higher processing skills. Meditation may also help you to sleep well at night and feel more in control of your life in general. Try meditating outside for an extra treat for your senses. On the beach is a wonderful experience or within the depths of a quiet forest.
We are living longer and longer thanks to our lifestyles and modern medicine. Start age proofing your brain now to ensure it continues to function well as you age, enabling you to live an active and enjoyable life as the years progress.