11 Ways to Love Your Brain and keeping healthy
Growing evidence indicates that people can reduce their risk of cognitive decline by keeping healthy and adopting key lifestyle habits. When and where possible, combine the following habits to achieve maximum benefit to keeping healthy for the brain and body. As they say it’s never too late or too early to incorporate healthy habits.
And it all starts with intent, just a few minutes a day at a gym or at home will change your world!
Break a Sweat means keeping Healthy
Keeping healthy starts with regular cardiovascular exercise that elevates your heart rate and increases blood flow to the brain and body. Several studies have found an association between physical activity and reduced risk of cognitive decline.
Hit the books
Formal education in any stage of life will help reduce your risk of cognitive decline and dementia. For example, take a class at a local college, community centre or online.
Butt out
Evidence shows that smoking increases risk of cognitive decline. Quitting smoking can reduce that risk to levels comparable to those who have not smoked.
Love your heart
Evidence shows that risk factors for cardiovascular disease and stroke — obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes — negatively impact your cognitive health. Take care of your heart, and your brain just might follow.
Heads up!
Brain injury can raise your risk of cognitive decline and dementia. Wear a seat belt, use a helmet when playing contact sports or riding a bike, and take steps to prevent falls, and yes, even with slightly weak legs we have to learn about Fitness and Injury Prevention for Seniors.
Such is life for an oldie like us!
Fuel up right
Eat a healthy and balanced diet that is lower in fat and higher in vegetables and fruit to help reduce the risk of cognitive decline. Although research on diet and cognitive function is limited, certain diets, including Mediterranean diets are great and having brain boosting diets will certainly do you a favour.
Just try to limit the fatty, processed and fast food diets with a side serve of pop drink
Catch some Zzz’s
Not getting enough sleep due to conditions like insomnia or sleep apnea may result in problems with memory and thinking. Get tested and fix your sleep problem if youi have one.
Take care of your mental health
Some studies link a history of depression with increased risk of cognitive decline, so seek medical treatment if you have symptoms of depression, anxiety, or other mental health concerns. Also, try to manage stress as this will help keeping heathly in our senior years.
Buddy up
Another way to keeping healthy is staying socially engaged and it supports brain health too. Pursue social activities that are meaningful to you. Find ways to be part of your local community — if you love animals, consider volunteering at a local shelter. If you enjoy singing, join a local choir or help at an after-school program. Or just share activities with friends and family.
Stump yourself
Wicking Dementia Research and Education Centre in Tassie says that challenging your mind from any age helps to keep a healthy mind.
Activate your mind with challenging things such as build a piece of furniture. Complete a jigsaw puzzle and try to beat your times. Do something artistic or join a dance class. Play games, such as bridge, that make you think strategically or go hard and play chess. Challenging your mind may have short and long-term benefits for your brain but certainly on a path to keeping healthy, happy, and active.
Be Safe
I’ll end this little blog with a small plug at a product that most of you already have but, we need to get the message out there to aid with keeping healthy and safe. It is also advisable for your safety and peace of mind is to look into Safey devices that can keep your health by having peace of knowing that when you are actually in a situation that you can help fast.
