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know that exercising regularly is also beneficial for the brain? “Anything that is good for the heart also generally helps the brain, so aerobic activity, regular walks, the Mediterranean diet, moderate amounts of red wine, as well as watching weight, blood pressure and cholesterol,” Dr. Doraiswamy comments. “Walking is one of the best exercises, but any regular aerobic activity done three to four times a week for 30 minutes is good.” Exercising releases positive endorphins that can increase
focus, clarity, motivation, and memory. Many programs for seniors in community centers, assisted living centers, and nursing homes are designed to keep older adults active for as long as possible. Pick up that golf club, swim, or choose one of the many other activities incorporated into the many avail- able classes for adults of all ages and abilities.
Creating Social Networks
Recent studies have shown that social involvement has
a positive effect on the emotional well-being of older adults, especially those in assisted living situations. Creating these inter-personal relationships can lower the risk of disease. Many elders lose friends, neighbors and family members as they age, so creating new social interactions within the community can be beneficial to maintaining good mental- health and a sense of self-identity. Many churches and other spiritual organizations provide transportation services for older adults and provide a great religious and social network. Keeping active as long as possible is advantageous in many ways.
Carol Cummings explains, “The benefit of Cross Train
Your Brain – living a healthy lifestyle – can hopefully keep brain cells healthy and help to form new connections in the brain. For the connections that are already established, chal- lenging the brain in new ways can increase the gray matter in the brain, forming a cognitive reserve as you grow older. While there is no cure for Alzheimer’s, we hope we can de- lay the onset of symptoms.” For those who have a family history of Alzheimer’s or other memory problems, using these practices can be an essential step toward pro-longing the health of their brain. What have you done today? Take a half an hour, venture into a new practice, and discover a new passion in your life. You don’t have to lose your mind!
Resources
There are a wealth of websites and books to help you
train your brain and improve your memory. The following are just a few.
www.quickwitz.com www.marblesthebrainstore.com www.vigorousmind.com www.mazeworks.com www.cognifit.com www.brainmetrix.com
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NA Triangle
www.mybrainsolutions.com www.lumosity.com www.learningrx.com www.oxfordlearning.com www.audiblox.com www.audiblox2000.com
www.natriangle.com
es to train our attention and working memory, which is the ability to keep information current for a short period of time while using the information. Give them a try.
Mind Games
H
1. Say the days of the week backwards, then in alphabetical order.
2. Say the months of the year in alphabetical order. Easy? The try doing so backwards, in reverse alphabetical order.
3. Quickly calculate in your head the sum of your birth date, mm/dd/yyyy. Then do the same with the birth dates of friends and relatives.
4. Name two objects beginning with each letter in your complete name. Work up to five objects. Try to use different items each time.
5. Wherever you are and have a few moments to spare, look around and try to find five red things that will fit in your pocket and five blue things that are too big to fit. Too simple? Choose less popular colors, or use shapes instead.
This is a very simple test to measure your word recall abilities:
Write today’s date along with the following words: Need, Land, Different, Home, Us, Move, Kind, Hand, and Picture along the left margin of a sheet of paper. Read the ten words, three times aloud, and then fold over the left third of the page. Walk away for two min- utes – get a glass of water or read email. When you re- turn, write as many of the words as you can remember along the right margin. Then compare the two lists. Did you remember them all? If so, well done! If not, don’t worry. Even the sharpest brain has difficulty remember- ing more than seven things at a time.
arriet Vines, Ph.D., is an author and retired college professor. She has created a few fun brain exercis-
iBrain: Surviving the Technological Alteration of the Modern Mind, by Gary Small, MD
Brain Building, by Dr. Karl Albrecht The Memory Advantage, by Clinical Psychologist Thomas Crook, PhD
The Brain Trust Program, by Larry McCleary, MD Shake That Brain, by Joel Saltzman Train Your Brain, by Dr. Ryuta Kawashima Train Your Mind: Change Your Brain, by Sharon Begley Train Your Brain, by Harry Alder
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