As people age, cognitive decline is often one of the biggest concerns. As they get older, brain cells die off, which can result in several cognitive issues, such as an inability to recall certain memories as clearly, forgetting short-term memories altogether, or being more likely to forget names and common words. In addition, there’s also the added worry of developing age-related cognitive health conditions such as Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia. Whilst there’s little more frightening than realizing your cognitive health is in decline, the good news is that there are several things that you can do to keep your brain as sharp and healthy as possible, starting from today.
#1. Brain Training:
Exercise and training aren’t just important for your physical health; it can also have a huge impact on your mental health as well. The brain is, after all, one of the most important muscles in your body, so if you want to make sure that it’s in the healthiest condition, you will need to work at it. Mental exercises and brain training activities could include puzzle and strategy games. For example, Sudoku, Scrabble, and crossword puzzles are not only entertaining and fun but are a great way of problem-solving to keep your brain sharp and focused. Even jigsaw puzzles can stimulate our brain and challenge it. Perhaps it’s worth finding some jigsaws, or any other complex games. Riddles can also be a fun way of working your brain – see Examined Existence for some good examples.
#2. Take Dietary Supplements:
In addition to eating a healthy diet filled with all the right nutrients that you need to keep your brain in top health, you might also want to consider taking some dietary supplements along with your food to boost brain condition. Fish oil, for example, is a popular supplement to take since it is rich in amino acids, which are essential for brain health. Uridine monophosphate can also be a useful supplement to consider since it has been proven to increase memory recall and boost mental capacity.
#3. Get More Sleep:
If you’re like many people today and trying to survive off the bare minimum sleep, then the sad news is that your brain is more likely to be affected, particularly into later life. Sleep is not only vital for your physical health, but also for your mental health and the physical condition of your brain. Whilst you’re sleeping, this is when your brain has the opportunity to repair itself, become well-rested and build stronger nerve connections, which will improve your ability to retain new information.
#4. Include Your Senses:
If you’re learning something new and want to improve your chances of retaining and recalling the information, one of the best ideas is to make it into as sensory an experience as possible. It has been proven that the more senses you use when learning something new, the more parts of your brain are involved in retaining that information. So, don’t be afraid to let your sense of smell, touch, sound, and even taste get involved with your learning experience.
Did you find this information useful for keeping your brain sharp and healthy? We’d love to hear your feedback in the comments.
