5 Tips to Increase Brain Fitness For Seniors

Aging is inevitable, and sometimes, we feel weaker because of it. However, that doesn’t need to be the case because there are ways where we can slow down the aging process and live life to the fullest.

One way of doing that is by exercising your mind. Doing this is as important as exercising your body because this improves your mental agility, thus boosting your memory and protecting you from dementia. It’s all about improving your quality of life in your older years.

And who says, you can’t have fun if you’re old and gray? What you need are brain exercises! Read on to know more.

●       Add variation to your daily routine

Even as simple as changing your daily routine can fire up your neurons in new and better ways. You might want to change your morning jogging route, or perhaps bring your dog to another park. Shop at a different grocery if you’d want, or change your afternoon nap time.

Changing your daily habits helps your brain to create new pathways, which in turn, strengthens already existing connections. This makes your day more interesting, and you’ll also feel fresher too! For sure you’ll say goodbye to boredom when you do.

●       Always learn something new

It has been proven time and time again that people who always learn new things in life are less likely to develop dementia. With this, it’s important to go outside your comfort zone and learn a new skill or perhaps play a new sport.

You can learn a new language, such as speaking Spanish or French. Don’t stress yourself, though. Start with a few words at first, then gradually progress and learn new whole sentences. If you already consider yourself a master of golf, then why not venture in fishing or perhaps dive into bowling? The greater you depart from your usual hobbies or activities, the better it is for your brain.

●       Get enough sleep

Not having enough sleep is a huge factor in cognitive decline. Always see to it that you get a minimum of eight hours of sleep a night, ten hours at max. And this doesn’t mean that you can sleep as late as 1 am.

Sleep as early as possible so you won’t stress your body into forcing to be awake for extended periods of time. Avoid smartphones, TVs, or other screens for at least an hour before going to bed as these emit radiation and can mess up your sleeping routine.

●       Get some cardiovascular exercise

Exercising your mind helps a lot, but this becomes useless if you don’t combine this with physical exercise. Combining these two is the best way to prevent cognitive decline. Numerous studies have shown that having regular cardiovascular exercise leads to a healthier mind because the brain and the heart are connected with each other.

The heart pumps blood to the brain. The better the heart does that, the more blood goes to your brain, and in the process, makes its processes more efficient, thus giving you a healthy mind.

Sign up for dance lessons, jog every morning, learn archery, or perhaps play darts. Sweat up, but don’t come to a point where you’re exhausting yourself too much.

●       Eat healthy

Another important thing to do is to maintain a healthy diet. Eat heart-healthy foods such as fishes, nuts, and green-leafy vegetables. Consume foods that are rich in Omega-3 fats, antioxidants, and folate, so you’ll have enough energy to exercise your body and mind.

Aging shouldn’t be seen in a negative light. Instead, it should be taken as a challenge to have a more meaningful life. That can be done by ensuring your overall well-being. Keeping your mind sharp is a sure-fire way to slow down the aging process.

With the help of the tips mentioned in this article, there’s no doubt that you’re going to look younger, feel younger, and of course, live life to the fullest.

Cheers.

The previous article has been contributed by Jane Byrne, Project Coordinator at FirstCare Nursing Homes.