As we enter our 60s, our brains begin to show signs of aging. That’s the bad news.
The good news is that the brain has the ability to function well throughout our lives if given the opportunity to build up cognitive brain "reserves." We can do that by keeping the brain active, says Robert Palmer, M.D., Section Head of Geriatric Medicine at Cleveland Clinic.
Just as physical exercise keeps muscles and joints in good condition, mental workouts can keep the brain in good condition.
To "brainercize" effectively, try these tips:
- Engage in challenging and interesting activities. Doing the daily paper’s crossword puzzle, taking a history or line dancing class, volunteering at the local hospital, building a model ship or coordinating a community food drive stimulate the growth of dendrites within the brain and the release of the chemicals (neurotransmitters) involved in alertness, attention and focus.
- Use memory cues. Make to-do lists and appointment and activity calendars. Use visual cues and associations to "jog" memory. For example, to remember to return library books, stack them on a bench next to the door. To remember the name of someone you’ve just met, think of something they remind you of.
- Use as many senses as possible to process new information. For example, when you program a new cell phone, hold the phone in your hand and read the instruction booklet out loud. When reading a difficult-to-understand passage in a book, read it aloud, too.
- Tune out distractions. As you age it gets progressively harder to focus, concentrate and multitask, so don’t program the new cell phone or read a difficult book with the TV blaring in the background.
- Group information into tasks or steps. For example, with a new phone, learn button functions on day one; on day two, learn how to retrieve messages; on day three, learn how to enter important phone numbers.
- Review what you want to remember.
- Become a creature of habit. This will mean never having to wonder (or worry about) where you placed the car keys, glasses or TV remote control.
- Sleep on it. The brain needs downtime to commit information and experiences into long-term memories.
- Reduce your stress. Stress interferes with the ability to concentrate, stay focused and remember things.
- Get physical. When you participate in an exercise or activity that revs up your circulation, your brain cells are flooded with oxygen and nutrients that help them work better and more efficiently. And brain cells pump out more of the "feel good" hormones that help de-stress the body and promote an overall sense of well-being.
- Socialize. Research strongly suggests that people who have a wide and varied social network stay sharper longer.
- Finally, to make sure that you are fully benefiting from "brainercizing," check your medications. Many people over the age of 60 are taking over-the-counter pills and prescription medications — everything from cough syrup to sleeping pills — that can cause many of the signs and symptoms of memory decline.
WEB EXTRA! Pedaling for Parkinson’s – Riding a bike is a simple activity most of us learn at a very young age. Now researchers want to know if cycling can help people with a degenerative brain disease. Watch the video below.
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This information is provided by the Cleveland Clinic and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition. This document was last reviewed on: 11/1/2007.
