Our brains need regular exercise along with our bodies. As promised, here are more tips on brain fitness for seniors from the book, “Brain Rules for Aging Well”…
1. Play Games with Friends. Getting together with friends playing card games, scrabble, chess or a sport like pickle ball or golf, provides socialization as well as mental stimulation. In our childhood, group games were a powerful learning, fun activity as they can be now as we age.
2. Keep Moving. Never retire from life. Staying active is vital to brain fitness for seniors. Bicycling, water aerobics, and dancing are wonderful ways to keep your heart pumping vital oxygen and nutrients to your brain. “Those who don’t find time for exercise will have to find time for illness”.
3. Eat Brain Food. The brain is only 2% of body weight, but consumes 20% of what we eat. Eat a plant-based diet rich in berries, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, fish, and heart healthy fats. And don’t forget to drink enough water. Don’t diet, Improve it! Upgrade your diet to a healthy one that may improve working memory and lower the risk of Alzheimer’s.
4. Get Restorative Sleep. Getting a good night’s sleep is difficult as we age. Sleep helps process the day’s events into memory. It also allows our brain to clean itself, which helps prevent dementia. See my article on the Seven Secrets of Sleeping Soundly.
5. Reminisce Often. Striving to be optimistic about aging improves our cognitive abilities as well as our mood. Studies show that nostalgia about rewarding life experiences boosts enthusiasm and social connectedness by impacting our moods and making us more pleasant to be around. At quiet times I often relive vacations or other uplifting experiences in detail. As I make positive memories a priority, my feelings of well-being and optimism increase.
Your Optimism Challenge:
As we enter the Spring season we see plants and trees blossom again.
What is an area of your life that you can nurture to bloom more fully?
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