It’s not only your body that needs exercise, but also your brain! Bear in mind that as we age, our entire physical being begins to deteriorate so it is important that we start taking care of our body early on to somehow delay the aging process. Alongside with it are the 101 age-related and/or lifestyle diseases and illnesses that may plague us during our golden years. However, studies have shown that one of the fastest degenerating parts of our body is the brain which accounts to the sheer number of seniors suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.
Like exercising the body, seniors are always reminded to train the brain regularly. But how often is regular exactly? And how hard should it be to fully work it out—and we are not talking just about anything there is to think of instead your brain should stay away from anything that will stress you out. When we exercise our brain, it should be something that will make it think outside of the box and yield creative, happy thoughts. Also, it is essential to provide your brain the nutrients it needs, in other words, you need to feed it too.
Let’s tackle the frequency first. Unlike physical exercise which needs at least 1 hour and half of working out per day, exercising your brain has no specific time period but it is most recommended for seniors to train your brain as often as possible which means almost always. When working it out, make sure that your brain uses all faculties possible which means it should be able to think forward, backwards and sideways. It is most recommended that you engage in something that will make you remember things that are otherwise forgotten—again, no unhappy thoughts please! Activities like crossword puzzles are the most recommended since it will boost your noodle in catching the right word to write down.
Snack on nuts and berries as they are rich in anti-oxidants and Omega3, the ultimate brain foods! Also, nuts, particularly walnuts, are known to boost melatonin, the hormone responsible in keeping your circadian cycle in its right track. In other words, nuts are not only good for the brain but it helps you sleep well at night too!
Some alternative ways work well in an aging brain too, such as trying online games whenever you have a short break instead of wasting your time doing unproductive things. Do take note too that most video game consoles offer games to train your brain as well. Now is the time to grab that joystick out of your grandkid’s hands!