People get older and face the aging process. It is a natural process in which older adults typically experience a decline in many functions, such as memory, and cognitive function that can negatively impact their quality of life.
With healthier lifestyles and advances in medical science, the human lifespan has almost doubled in the past century. However, improvements in physical health at advanced ages have outpaced our ability to maintain brain functions that support cognition and memory.
For adult men & women, it’s common to experience some decline in cognitive function. While some deterioration of memory or cognition is expected with age, ongoing research is providing evidence that certain lifestyle changes can significantly contribute to improved cognitive health and reduced risk of decline and dementia. How to apply prevention plays a critical role in maintaining cognitive health.
Here we share five key lifestyle habits that you can do to help reduce your risk of cognitive decline and help to improve your health.
1. Stay Physically Active
Regular exercise elevates your heart rate and increases blood flow to the brain and body. Doing physical activity meets or exceeds 30 minutes of moderate activity most days of the week to maintain physical and functional health. Exercise increases blood flow to the brain, which helps to deliver oxygen and nutrients to the brain cells. It also helps to reduce stress and anxiety.
“There is evidence that physical activity may help improve or maintain memory function even after memory problems have begun,” says Dr. Bruns, MD, PhD, and cognitive neurologist and co-director of Rochester Regional Health’s Memory Centre at Unity Hospital,
There some examples you can do, such as walking, swimming, chair aerobics, ballroom dancing, housework, and gardening.
2. Challenge Your Brain
Focused memory training may help maintain memory function before or after memory problems develop. The aging brain can accumulate Alzheimer’s changes, but if you’re stimulating your brain and strengthening it like a muscle, you may be better able to tolerate those changes.
Some ideas to increase your cognitive reserve are crossword puzzles, sudoku puzzles, reading and writing, exploring new hobbies & interests, playing games, and taking adult education courses.
There are also various technology cognitive exercises available digitally, effective options for cognitive strengthening, available to most individuals with some ingenuity and effort. Harvard Medical School has outlined several of these (Godman, 2021), including the following: card & board games, electronic games, virtual travel, learn new languages.
Check: Natural Formula Can [Boost Cognitive Function]
3. Be A Social Participant
Being social helps ward off depression and stress. Both can make memory loss worse. Social isolation and loneliness also have been linked to a higher risk of a decline in thinking skills and Alzheimer's disease. Research suggests that people with larger social networks may have less mental decline, and people who have more social activities in their lives may have a lower risk of developing dementia.
Social interaction stimulates and challenges the brain in ways that solitary activities cannot. It draws on multiple skills, such as visual-spatial processing of faces and gestures, inferring others’ motivations, decision-making about how to behave within social norms, etc.
Here is what the doctor recommends; volunteering, joining a book club, sports league, senior centre, religious or spiritual group, or a club or social activity.
4. Eat Healthy Food, Healthy Drinks or Supplements
We know that generally, foods that are healthy for the heart are healthy for the brain. For example, some studies have shown that people who follow a Mediterranean diet may have less loss of memory even if they already have memory problems. The Mediterranean Diet limits saturated fats such as those found in full-fat dairy products, butter, margarine, and red meats. It is also low in hydrogenated oils (trans-fatty acids), added salts, and added sugars.
Suggestion to take fresh fruits & vegetables, whole grains including cereals and breads, legumes (beans), nuts, fish, olive oils. Believe it or not, eating fruits and veggies is a way to ward off brain cognition issues that are associated with aging. A 2018 study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that a higher intake of raw fruits and veggies is associated with better mental health, reduced symptoms of depression, and a higher incidence of satisfaction with life.
Getting plenty of omega-3s from fish or fish oil supplements keeps your brain functioning at its best. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says that docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is needed for efficient brain function, enhanced memory, and improved learning capabilities, as well as reduced cognitive decline associated with aging.
5. Get More Sleep
Sleep is the human equivalent of plugging in your phone to charge. A good night's sleep helps improve brain function and memory; keeps you alert, and makes it easier to do daily tasks. Rest also eases stress and depression.
Make getting enough healthy sleep a priority. Adults should sleep 7 to 9 hours a night.
Insufficient or interrupted sleep due to insomnia, stress, or sleep apnea may also contribute to memory impairment and cognitive problems. “A good night’s sleep is crucial for high-level problem solving and innovative thinking.”
Check: Natural Formula Can [Boost Cognitive Function]
Regular exercise, getting enough sleep, eating a healthy diet, challenging your brain, engaging in cognitive activities, and maintaining social connections are all essential for brain health. By practicing these lifestyles you can improve cognitive function, memory, and overall brain health.
Living a healthy lifestyle greatly increases the chance of maximizing brain health which can boost personal productivity and life satisfaction.
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