Stay mentally sharp despite aging

By age 60, more than half of adults have concerns about their memory. However, minor memory lapses that occur with age are not usually signs of a serious problem, such as Alzheimer’s disease, but rather the result of normal changes in the structure and function of the brain.

Regular physical activity helps keep your heart, lungs, and muscles in shape and can stave off the effects of aging. “It’s all about maintaining and building new neural pathways, the roads in our brains that carry information,”. “Keeping those pathways elastic and creating new brain cells can help improve brain function at every age, and there are lots of ways to do that.”Examples include;

Tip #1: Learn Something New

Whether it’s playing an instrument or diving into a new foreign language, learning something new and working outside your comfort zone involves many different areas of the brain. Research has shown that even something as simple as trying a new driving route while you’re out running errands will help forge new neural pathways. 

Tip #2: Use Your Hands

"Eye-hand coordination is both visual and tactile, and will fill the brain with activity,”. Something as simple as throwing a ball or using your non-dominant hand can build brain power. Even better, try sign language: You’ll get the benefit of learning a new language, and combining that with the hand motions used in sign language, exercises even more – and different – areas of the brain. 

Tip #3: See Something New

Get out of your normal routine and experience something new, like an art exhibit. Don’t just attend and then forget about it. “It’s even better when you write it all down when you get home – what you did and what you learned,” “Then, talk about it with family and friends.”  

Tip #4: Memorize

This can be as simple as memorizing a new word, or lyrics to a song, every day. Write the lyrics down if you have to, then sing along. That careful listening will sharpen your thinking. 

Tip #5: Eat Antioxidants

Foods like blueberries and dark chocolate contain antioxidants, which scavenge free radicals, the cause for age-related human diseases. Bonus: foods high in antioxidants may also delay or prevent cancer and neuro degenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s. They can also lower cholesterol and blood pressure.

  

Tip #6: Move

Activity pumps up brain function and has been shown to increase the number of brain cells in the hippo campus. Fifteen to 30 minutes of exercise, three times a week, will lessen the chance of developing Alzheimer’s.

TIP# 7: Stay connected

Establishing and maintaining close ties with others is another way to maintain mental skills and memory. Social interaction and mentally engaging activities often go hand in hand (think volunteering or tutoring school kids). Social relationships can also provide support during stressful times, reducing the damaging effects that stress can have on the brain. Social support can come from relationships with family members, friends, relatives, or caregivers, as well as from a religious community or other organized group.