How many times have you walked into a room and suddenly forgotten why you went in there in the first place? When this happens, do you joke that you’ve just had “a senior moment?”
Most of us believe that cognitive decline is just a part of the aging process. In fact, until very recently, scientists believed that the brain stopped making new neural connections when the body stopped developing, at about age 20. This would mean that our memory and other cognitive functions would get irreversibly worse once we reached the legal drinking age.
Thankfully, in the last few years, science has discovered that the human brain is more than capable of making new neurons well into old age. No matter how old you are, you’re never too old to rewire your brain …show more content…
Exercise
An Active body is as important as an active brain when it comes to our cognitive health. Exercise boosts brain power by facilitating the formation of new brain cells and strengthens the connection between these cells. Research has been able to pinpoint the areas of the brain that are stimulated through exercise. It turns out spending a half hour on that treadmill that’s currently collecting dust can help with learning and memory. Several studies have actually found that physical exercise may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
Get Plenty of Rest
Most of us know we need to rest our muscles after a good workout so they can grow stronger and stronger. Rest also plays a crucial role in brain development. Research points to sleep’s healing power as a factor in the formation of new neurons. When we lack sleep, the result is always cognitive impairment. We find it hard to focus and remember things. Sleep deprivation inhibits the brain’s capacity to form new brain cells as well as consolidate knowledge for memories to form. It is during sleep that the hippocampus (the area of the brain where memories are stored) becomes very active and moves information from short-term memory to long-term …show more content…
In the elderly this prolonged stress leads to memory loss while in the young it results in learning difficulties.
Short-term stress is not much better. Researchers from the University of California found that short-term stress, lasting as little as a few hours, can negatively impact brain-cell communication.
Since very few of us are able to avoid stress in our lives, we must learn to manage it instead. Here are several ways to consider:
• Exercise
• Learn relaxation techniques such as yoga and meditation
• Avoid over-scheduling and learn to say “no” to so many responsibilities
• Make time for leisure activities
• Get a massage
Socialize
It’s easy to be social and make new friends when we’re young and in school. But as we get older and form families of our own, it’s often difficult to keep those old friendships alive or develop new ones. But social interaction, it turns out, is very important for the health of our brains as we age.
Researchers have found that simply talking to another human being for just 10 minutes a day improved memory and test scores of the study participants. They concluded that socializing was as effective as more traditional forms of mental exercise and
Most of us believe that cognitive decline is just a part of the aging process. In fact, until very recently, scientists believed that the brain stopped making new neural connections when the body stopped developing, at about age 20. This would mean that our memory and other cognitive functions would get irreversibly worse once we reached the legal drinking age.
Thankfully, in the last few years, science has discovered that the human brain is more than capable of making new neurons well into old age. No matter how old you are, you’re never too old to rewire your brain …show more content…
Exercise
An Active body is as important as an active brain when it comes to our cognitive health. Exercise boosts brain power by facilitating the formation of new brain cells and strengthens the connection between these cells. Research has been able to pinpoint the areas of the brain that are stimulated through exercise. It turns out spending a half hour on that treadmill that’s currently collecting dust can help with learning and memory. Several studies have actually found that physical exercise may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
Get Plenty of Rest
Most of us know we need to rest our muscles after a good workout so they can grow stronger and stronger. Rest also plays a crucial role in brain development. Research points to sleep’s healing power as a factor in the formation of new neurons. When we lack sleep, the result is always cognitive impairment. We find it hard to focus and remember things. Sleep deprivation inhibits the brain’s capacity to form new brain cells as well as consolidate knowledge for memories to form. It is during sleep that the hippocampus (the area of the brain where memories are stored) becomes very active and moves information from short-term memory to long-term …show more content…
In the elderly this prolonged stress leads to memory loss while in the young it results in learning difficulties.
Short-term stress is not much better. Researchers from the University of California found that short-term stress, lasting as little as a few hours, can negatively impact brain-cell communication.
Since very few of us are able to avoid stress in our lives, we must learn to manage it instead. Here are several ways to consider:
• Exercise
• Learn relaxation techniques such as yoga and meditation
• Avoid over-scheduling and learn to say “no” to so many responsibilities
• Make time for leisure activities
• Get a massage
Socialize
It’s easy to be social and make new friends when we’re young and in school. But as we get older and form families of our own, it’s often difficult to keep those old friendships alive or develop new ones. But social interaction, it turns out, is very important for the health of our brains as we age.
Researchers have found that simply talking to another human being for just 10 minutes a day improved memory and test scores of the study participants. They concluded that socializing was as effective as more traditional forms of mental exercise and