Ways to Keep Your Brain Sharp as You Age
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Have you found yourself having the odd “senior moment”? Don’t worry they happen to the best of us every now and again. Even young adults have been known to wander into a room and forget what they’re looking for. Lapses in memory can occur at any age, but as you grow older, you may well find them happening a little more frequently. We all know this happens but that doesn’t stop it from being rather upsetting. You might be worried that dementia is setting in or you’re losing metal function. Certain changes are happening in your brain and these are what cause fleeting memory problems. Thankfully, there are things you can do to protect and sharpen your mind.
Never Stop Learning New Things
Research has shown that keeping your brain active by learning new things stimulates connections between nerve cells. As well as creating new connections, it can also help to generate new cells. There are lots of ways you can mentally stimulate yourself. Reading, word puzzles and math problems are good examples. You can also learn something new. Look for courses taking place locally or go online and find out about Udemy membership cost. When you’re working, there are many parts of your job that will keep your brain active. However, when you retire, you need to find new ways to exercise your brain.
Physical Exercise
There are a number of ways that regular exercise can help your mind. Research on animals has shown that those who exercise regularly increase the number of blood vessels bringing oxygen-rich blood to the brain that regulates thought. It is also beneficial for the development of new nerve cells along with increasing brain cell connections. This then results in a brain that’s more efficient, pliable and able to adapt. As well as benefiting the brain, regular exercise also lowers blood pressure, helps the balance of blood sugar levels, reduces mental stress and lowers cholesterol levels.
Good Nutrition
Eating healthily is good for your mind, body and soul. A Mediterranean style diet that includes lots of fruit, vegetables, fish, nuts, unsaturated fats such as olive oil and plant proteins will reduce the chances of you developing cognitive impairment and dementia. Whole grains, oily fish, blueberries, tomatoes, eggs, blackcurrants, pumpkin seeds, broccoli and sage have also been shown to boost your brain power.
Use All Your Senses When Learning
You are far more likely to remember something if all of your senses are involved. More areas of your brain will be used when it comes to retaining the memory. Studies have been done that compared the ability of adults to remember an image when presented along with a smell. When the same images were shown later, without the associated odor, fewer were remembered.
One last point worth mentioning is the need to believe in yourself. Our brains are very powerful organs and negative stereotypes can have a profound effect on individuals. Convincing yourself that your senior moments can’t be helped is very counterproductive. Believe that you can improve your memory, and it will be more likely to happen.
