Aging brains are particularly vulnerable during a person’s golden years and the effects of Alzheimer’s disease. With this in mind, seniors need to practice various cognitive exercises to help maintain brain health as we age. Senior healthcare providers and family members should also look for signs of physical fitness that could put someone at risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Regular exercise, a healthy diet, and keeping in touch with friends and family are just some steps to preserve brain health.
Top 5 Things to Support Brain Health in Seniors
Regular Physical Exercise
Staying active is the easiest way to keep your brain on your toes. Specifically, you need to focus on aerobic exercise, which engages large muscle groups. Your best bets include dancing, hiking, and swimming. You can have fun with these activities and still get a good workout for the heart and lungs. Also, choose activities that add variety over time. It is easy to slip into a routine where you do the same exercise repeatedly and do not challenge yourself in new ways. Avoiding this will help keep boredom at bay while keeping your brain active. Changing how you approach physical activity is also a good idea. Switching it up can keep your mind off the repetition and help you focus on enjoying yourself.
Eat a Healthy Diet
A balanced diet will help keep your brain and body healthy. It means eating healthy foods and foods containing the nutrients your brain needs to function correctly. Foods such as salmon, spirulina, blueberries, and walnuts are all excellent for your brain health. Eating healthily for your entire life is essential, not just when you are older. It is important to realize that there is no reset button where you can begin eating unhealthy foods and magically turn your health around. Small changes over time will yield significant changes in brain health.
Get More Sleep
Many people take sleep for granted until they start to feel sleepy. Remarkably, researchers have found that approximately 30-40 percent of the population does not get enough sleep (based on studies conducted by the National Sleep Foundation). Although your body does need some rest, the amount varies from person to person. You must adjust your sleep schedule accordingly if you are tired during the day or all the time. It is also important to shift your focus from quantity to quality sleep. It means getting plenty of rest but not necessarily staying in bed all day. Moreover, you should avoid watching TV or playing video games in the bedroom. Both activities are conducive to sleep for most people, but they will likely wake you up instead of lulling you into a deep sleep.
Limit Screen Time
Just as adults need sleep, so does your brain. While YouTube is a great way to stay entertained, you should limit your time online to avoid spending too much of your day on the computer and not sacrificing other activities. The amount of hours spent on a computer has been linked to mental health issues such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD). To minimize the risk, finding other ways to entertain yourself is better, such as going outside or reading a book. It is important to remember that the brain benefits from various stimuli.
Keep Things Simple
In an increasingly complicated world, it is easy to spend much time worrying about the future and not enough time living in the present. However, a recent study discovered that people who said they were living in the moment tended to have better longevity than those who focused too much on the future. Keep this in mind as you go through your next few days, and try to do what makes you happy and not stress over rules that apply to most people. It will help make your life easier and may lead to a longer, happier life overall. It is always better to live too much than too little.
The five tips listed above can go a long way toward enhancing seniors’ brain health. Seniors can boost their brain and body health by maintaining a healthy lifestyle. They can then take steps to help protect their brain against the effects of memory loss and other issues associated with aging. It is essential to remember that the brain benefits from various stimuli. Keeping some of these tips in mind can improve your life and your health. It will help you live a happy, fulfilling life and help you be as successful as possible while you can still function.