Science says, “Not necessarily!”
Ever person’s brain, like their body, is uniquely different. Not everyone is
subjected to the slowing down of mental faculties that tend to come along with
aging.
The Benefits
of Brain Exercises
Like every muscle, the brain needs stimulation and exercises to
sustain its function. Exercising the brain has many benefits as is exercising
the body. You will be able to remember things later on in life and you won’t
forget as many details about other people. You also won’t have as many “senior
moments” as perhaps you may fear.
But brain training is not limited to those who are approaching their golden
years. Experiments with multiple sclerosis patients with cognitive damage have
shown that doing activities specifically tied to brain training can help the
brain develop stronger connections. Their brains literally become stronger
through the power of exercise. There’s also a suggestion that doing brain
exercises early in life can expand your later amount of cognitive reserve (i.e.
how much your brain can bounce back as you age).
Some Brain
Exercises You Can Complete On Your Own
Not all exercises need a machine or a website to provide benefits to their users. Lumosity and NeuroNation have become popular in recent years, and have proven popular. But these activities still help give your brain a boost:
- Reading. What’s the last full book you’ve read? The more you stimulate your brain by learning, the harder and longer your brain will be able to work.
- Protecting your head. Wear a helmet, and take proper precautions if you think you may have a risk of a concussion.
- Staying in touch with friends. Maintaining social ties is extremely important. Having people around to talk to and challenge you keeps our brain working in a way that it wouldn’t ever work when you are by yourself.
- Talk about Problems. Holding on to problems is much more troublesome to your health than just annoying you in the moment. It can lead to serious stress, and can even impair your brain’s abilities later in life. So, if you’re feeling depressed or have a mental problem you want to address, bring it up sooner rather than later. You’ll save yourself a lot of stress and potential harm to your brain.
- Try New Things. Force your brain to be creative, whether by building something in your backyard or playing a game for the first time. It’ll do your brain good.
- Quit Smoking. This decision benefits many different parts of your body, but the fact that our brain will potentially reverse deterioration is a very good benefit.
- Sleep More. Sleep doesn’t just restore your body. Your mind also benefits from having enough time to rest though the night.
Do you do brain exercises? If so, what have you found benefits you the most?
Share your story in the comments!
Lisa Hoffman-Lamanna, RLCSW
ROOTS HEALTH AND WELLNESS
Planting Foundations for Life
www.rootshealthandwellness.net
(631) 806-2080
