Information about keeping your brain active as you age, including useful statistics, links to resources and activity descriptions.
Science tells us that the brain declines at a rate of about 5% per decade, with the possibility for an increase in decline after the age of 70.
There is a natural decline that occurs regardless of your physical and mental health, but lots of different factors can increase the decline of your brain, so it is important to do everything you can to prevent and delay any cognitive impairment.
To help you keep your brain in great shape, take a look at these 10 ways to keep your brain active as you get older kindly provided by The Live-in Care Hub (www.liveincarehub.co.uk) a non-profit organisation that publishes independent research and articles concerning elderly people such as “What is live-in care?”:
1.Stimulate Your Brain
Completing mentally stimulating activities regularly such as crossword puzzles, maths, brain training games and artistic ventures like drawing or painting will help to generate new brain cells, boosting your brain power long-term.
- Move More
Moving boosts oxygen and blood flow, helping to keep your brain active and healthy. Exercise is also known to help keep your entire body in good shape, and to reduce stress and boost mood, enhancing your brain health indirectly too.
- Eat Well
1.3 million people in the UK aged over 65 are currently malnourished or at risk of malnutrition. Your body requires a wide range of nutrients, minerals and vitamins, some of which you require more of when you get older. For brain health, colourful fruits and vegetables, healthy fish and olive oils and nuts are important. If you have professional homecare services or other forms of elderly care your carers should be on top of your nutrition, but it always pays to ask.
- Prevent Diabetes
Diabetes increases your risk of getting dementia. You can try to avoid diabetes with a healthy lifestyle but if you do still get it, it is important to seek medical advice quickly so that you can take the right medication to keep it under control.
- Stop Smoking
Smoking is known to be very bad for the whole body, and is thought to be linked to direct damage to the brain. Speak to your GP or pharmacist today about help quitting for good.
- Don’t Drink Alcohol Excessively
Drinking too much puts you at a higher risk of dementia. Try to stick to government guidelines for units consumed daily, or cut the drink out altogether.
- Stay In Touch
Loneliness is a huge issue in the UK and it is known to cause comparable damage to smoking. Stay in touch with friends, family and neighbours. Just one phone call can make so much difference to how connected you feel to others. Speak to your homecare services or elderly care workers about finding local social events and groups with people of a similar age to you.
Put The Effort In To Keep Your Brain Healthy
Keeping your brain healthy is so important as you age, and there are many ways to do that, including the 7 ways listed above. The more effort you make, the more likely you are to have a sharp and strong brain well into your later years.
