As we age, our minds change. You may be noticing that in the way you strive to remember things or in your reaction times. But in the last 20 years we've learned that many functions of a healthy aging brain appear to be renewable through planned mental exercise, physical exertion, and good diet. Healthy aging minds can experience increases in vocabulary and knowledge. Mental intelligence will remain constant with time. But, more than that, your brain can be improved at any age if you develop a strategy of daily support for long lasting brain fitness.
Think about your mind more like you think about your body. We now know that the brain needs daily exercise and attention to stay keen. We also know that cognitive decline doesn't happen to everyone in later years. Much of what we once assumed about our minds has changed with imaging advancements and years of research. We don't lose brain cells, for instance, as we once believed and, in fact, our brains are remarkably "plastic" at every age. Check out Dr Pamela Greenwood on the Brain Science Podcast for a detailed and fascinating discussion on brain function, current research, and older minds.
Lifelong brain plasticity means that you have the ability to strengthen and shape your own mind physically, functionally, and chemically by learning something new or acquiring a new skill. Continual learning is one of three key components in every brain fitness program. Plasticity also means that you have more control then you may realize over mental decline. Research scientist Dr Michael Merzenich states that our modern tendencies to "remove ourselves from the details of life," by relying on Google and electronic gadgets to remember things can speed cognitive decline. In addition, routine and mastery of skills, which often come with success and age, fail to sufficiently challenge our brains. So, break out of that routine, memorize your grocery list (It's okay if you forget. That will help you remember next time.), and consider reading Dr. Merzenich's comprehensive brain fitness ideas.
Thinking exercises seem like a natural remedy for the dull edges of our minds but physical exercise is less intuitively connected to brain health. Studies confirm though that physical exercise improves brain fitness and should be included in any comprehensive brain fitness strategy. Do you walk daily? Are you a swimmer? Do you enjoy ballroom dance? Physical activities that are aerobic or involve both mental and physical skill often provide the greatest cognitive benefit however 20 minutes daily of any exercise will help.
Diet also plays a role in the maintenance of both body and brains yet our minds utilize some foods more than others. Most brain health diet lists suggest foods high in Omega 3 fats and antioxidants and usually agree that reducing processed foods and sugars is important. Here's a sampling of specific brain healthy foods suggested by AARP, Huffington Post, and the Alzheimer's Association. Diet, daily exercise, and continual learning form the basic foundation of all strategies for brain fitness.
The brain continues to elude our complete understanding however current research shows us that age doesn't mean a steady cognitive decline. Unless we're challenged by severe cognitive damage or illness we have the ability, at any age, to strengthen and improve our minds!
Update 1 April 2013 A free online site with a large selection of brain training games
Update 1 July 2013 UCLA study finds that a particular online brain fitness program significantly improve memory.
Update 1 Oct 2013 Aerobic exercise slashes your risk of Alzheimers in half and risk of general dementia by 60% according to a new article in AARP's bulletin.
Update May 2014 Learn a new skill for maximum brain boost says new research profiled on NPR
Update March 2015--From this article, Successful Aging: The Second 50---"
"The mental decline most people experience is not due to the steady death of nerve cells," says Katz. Rather, it is the atrophy of connections between nerve cells in the brain. Contributing to such atrophy, he says, are routine behaviors, many of them almost subconscious, that require little brainpower. "It's startling to realize just how predictable and free from surprises our everyday lives really are," he says.
