Exercising the Ageing Brain
A regular cognitive workout can improve your concentration, comprehension and recall in everyday life such as remembering people’s names or driving across town. The more you challenge your brain, the more brain cells and nerve connection pathways you form. Instead of gray matter simply dying as you age, challenging your brain can activate new cell growth throughout your lifetime.
A number of brain exercise routines are recommended to help curb mental slowing:
- Learn a new skill. Your brain becomes more active when you take up a new hobby or activity such as learning to cook different foods, speak a foreign language, play an instrument or try a new sport.
- Read and explore books, newspapers, magazine articles and other forms of written communication.
- Write as often as you can. Whether you keep a journal, write emails, jot down memories, or create fictional stories – keep at it.
- Complete crossword puzzles and Sudoku. These brain builders are especially beneficial if you set a time limit and work quickly.
- Play bridge, chess, or board and computer games. Expose yourself to the paces of mental strategy and focus.
- Continue to socialize and verbalize. Talk with others about world events and issues important to you and your community.
- Participate in brain games such as color match, speed match and word-find challenges. While computer-accessed cognition games provide mental stimulation and support short-term memory, a 2014 report by cognition experts from 40 institutions in six countries questions whether digital brain products improve brain functioning overall. The researchers advise caution on expecting these types of brain games to prevent dementia or other types of cognitive decline.
Right at Home adult home care services can provide older adults with companionship and help with activities and games that boost cognitive skills, or coordinate library trips to find brainteasers, language-learning audio sets and thought-provoking books. In addition, a holistic approach to better brain health involves lowering stress, eating nutritiously, maintaining regular physical exercise and getting adequate sleep.
Which brain exercises do you enjoy doing to help maintain your cognitive proficiency?
