Sounds weird??
Well, to make it simple think of it like this- your brain is just like your muscles. If you don't use it, it will undergo atrophy.
In fact, muscles are composed of muscular cells, and these cells needs workout and training to keep functioning and growing. So, If you don't do exercises you are basically telling your muscles that you don't need them. In the same way, when you don't exercise your brain, it's like you are putting it on hold and telling it that there is no need to function more.
This need for exercise becomes more urgent as we age. Back again to the muscles example- we know that when we get older we lose muscles, and so is for our brain cells. More specifically, our brain's ability to withstand neurological damage due to aging and other factors diminishes through the years. That can make it more difficult for us to perform mental tasks. But, just as weight workouts strengthens your muscles and help you retain them in as you get older, researchers now believe that following a brain-healthy lifestyle and performing regular, targeted brain exercises can also increase your brain's cognitive reserve- which means it's ability to withstand age related damage and atrophy.
It's never too late :)
Brain exercise can be helpful not only to withstand age related changes, but also to reverse them. Because our brains are resilient, their function can be modified and improved. New research suggests that making lifestyle changes and challenging your brain can also help regain lost brainpower.
In a six-month study, Dr. Bender, who is a Medical Director of the Johnny Orr Memory Center and Healthy Aging Institute in Des Moines, Iowa, and other researchers found that Alzheimer's patients recovered a significant amount of brain activity after undergoing a program involving drug therapy, physical exercise, low-fat diet instruction, cognitive training, socialization, and meditation. "We now know the brain is plastic, or resilient enough that we can actually make ourselves smarter," says Bender. "Even in cases of Alzheimer's disease, some normal brain cells remain, and research suggests they can be stimulated to create new connections."
Here are some Tips...
The good news is that, unlike body workout, you do not need to buy some fancy aerobic machine or get a platinum gym subscription in order to train your brain. you can start with things as simple as a magic square cube, or even your daily newspaper. "Simple games like Sudoku and word games are good, as well as comic strips where you find things that are different from one picture to the next," says John E. Morley, MD, director of St. Louis University's Division of Geriatric Medicine and author of The Science of Staying Young. He also recommends the following exercises to sharpen your mental skills:
- Test your recall. Make a list — of grocery items, things to do, or anything else that comes to mind — and memorize it. An hour or so later, see how many items you can recall. Make items on the list as challenging as possible for the greatest mental stimulation.
- Draw a map from memory. After returning home from visiting a new place, try to draw a map of the area; repeat this exercise each time you visit a new location.
- Do math in your head. Figure out problems without the aid of pencil, paper, or computer; you can make this more difficult by walking at the same time.
- Challenge your taste buds. When eating, try to identify individual ingredients in your meal, including subtle herbs and spices.
- Take a cooking class. Learn a new way to cook. Cooking uses a number of senses: smell, touch, sight, and taste, which all use different parts of the brain.
- Create word pictures. Visualize the spelling of a word in your head, then try and think of any other words that begin (or end) with the same two letters.
- Learn a foreign language. The listening and hearing involved stimulates the brain.
- Let the music play. Learn to play a musical instrument or study music.
- Refine your hand-eye abilities. Learn a new skill that involves fine-motor skills, such as knitting, drawing, painting, assembling a puzzle, etc.
- Engage your senses. Try activities that involve as many of your senses as possible, such as gardening.
Learn a new sport. Take up an athletic exercise that utilizes the mind and body, like golf or basketball.
Improve Memory Power | Ways to Improve Memory | How to Improve Memo
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References:
Lawson, S. (n.d.). Alzheimer’s Disease — No Longer Thought of as a One-Way Street. Sequoia Senior Solutions Blog Discussing In-Home Care for Elderly Clients and their Families in Napa County, Sonoma County, Marin County, Solano County, Mendocino County, and Lake County. Retrieved December 3, 2012, from http://www.sequoiaseniorsolutionsblog.com/2011/09/05/alzheimer%E2%80%99s-disease-%E2%80%94-no-longer-thought-of-as-a-one-way-street/
Melone, L. (n.d.). Brain Exercises that Strengthen Memory and Fight Alzheimer's – Longevity Center – EverydayHealth.com. Health Information, Resources, Tools & News Online - EverydayHealth.com. Retrieved December 3, 2012, from http://www.everydayhealth.com/longevity/mental-fitness/brain-exercises-for-memory.aspx
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