Health x Wellness
Five Ways To Stay Active As You Age
As one ages, it is vital that you stay active to combat age-related declines in brain function and improve memory and cognitive performance. Here are five ways.
As one ages, the networks of pathways the brain cells use to transmit information begin to deteriorate, and as the brain slows down, everything one does becomes slower. Thus it is vital that one exercises regularly to protect the brain networks from decay due to age-related decline as exercise can stimulate the release of chemicals that protect brain cells.
1. Sleep well – Sleep early, sleep well and wake up early. A good night’s sleep may be essential to brain health, as a lack of sleep affects the nervous system. Studies have indicated that a lack of sleep causes one’s concentration, coordination, memory, and mood to suffer.
2. Exercise your body – Exercise is proven in helping one increase stimulate the release of special chemicals in the brain that protect brain cells and encourage the growth of new blood vessels. Overall, keeping yourself active by moving around regularly helps improve yur blood flow to the brain and this in turn helps wake you up, making it easier to concentrate on specific tasks.
3. Stimulate your mind – Keep your mind sharp. There’s a wide variety of activities out there that you can pick up. Some of you may like to kill time reading a good book, while others might prefer to indulge in a good puzzle or for the more social, a fun but yet challenging board game that pits your wits against your peers’. Keeping your mind engaged and challenged is important in active aging.
4. Try something new – You might want to coach young kids in a sport you are good at or pick up internet lingo that the millennials use with aplomb, and maybe apply it to a new hobby such as blogging. With your wealth of experience in life as an active ager, blogging can be a great way in sharing your lifelong anecdotes that might be useful to a younger person. I’m sure parenting tips would come in handy to newly minted parents. Identifying and pursuing new interests can be a refreshing adventure as compared to a daily routine of drinking coffee at the coffee shop while idly watching the world pass you by.
5. Resume an old or long lost interest – Picking up something where you once left off might be a good way to exercise your brain. If you were an avid guitarist once upon a time, you might want to resume strumming a tune or two again. Revisiting and sharpening a long-lost skill can be fun and helpful in exercising one’s brain power.
