Experts agree that staying active is an important part of maintaining the best possible health in your golden years. Find out why brain health is just as important and how you can promote it.
Physical Health Milestones
You’ve probably heard about how you can keep your body healthy as you age. Walking, swimming, and other forms of low-impact cardio workouts are often touted as the gold standard for seniors who want to keep their bodies moving.
The Importance of Brain Health
But what about your brain? Studies show that brain health is as important to your overall well-being as any other organ, especially as you move into retirement.
Keeping the Brain Active
While most people hope to enjoy their retirement in a relaxing environment far from the stressors of work, there are benefits to keeping your brain busy.
The Benefits of Exercising the Brain
Much like how exercising muscles keeps them strong, using your brain helps maintain its critical functions like memory and problem-solving. Issues tend to arise when we stop exercising those functions.
Brain-Stimulating Activities
That’s why experts recommend brain-stimulating activities to help keep your mind in tip-top shape. Puzzles, books, consuming educational content, and even solving math problems can all make a big difference in brain health.
Chemical Reactions
Evidence suggests that completing a puzzle helps your brain produce dopamine, which makes you happy. Puzzles also keep your brain functioning and can even prevent memory loss.
Puzzle Games and Their Benefits
Puzzle games, many of which can be found via your smartphone or tablet, exercise your prefrontal cortex. This part of your brain is important for maintaining good cognition and mental alertness.
Skill-Building for Brain Health
Learning a new skill is another excellent way to sharpen your mind and exercise your brain. There are chemical processes that take place during skill-building that have long-term effects on brain health.
The Dopamine Effect
Like with puzzles, learning a skill releases dopamine, making you feel happier and content. Many people find joy in learning new skills as they age, such as fishing, knitting, or painting.
Building Strong Connections
Also, when you learn something new and repeat it, you bolster the connections in your brain. This will make new things feel even easier the more you try them.
Forming Pathways
The stimulation of neurons that takes place when you learn a new skill forms new pathways in the brain. When you learn something new, the structure of your brain is altered as a result.
Why Your Social Life Matters
Social interactions have a positive impact on brain health, as well. You may have moved to a new state or country to enjoy your retirement, but that doesn’t mean you should spend all your time alone.
Don’t Be a Homebody
Getting involved with groups of fellow retirees can be a great way to maintain a social life with people who understand you. Many communities have events or groups specifically for retirees to join.
Keep It Moving – Your Brain, That Is
The worst thing you can do for brain health is to let your brain be stagnant. If social events or new activities aren’t for you, consider other ways to stimulate your brain to prevent deficits from forming.
Other Ways to Promote Brain Health
Experts recommend getting plenty of sleep, eating a balanced diet, and exercising to the best of your ability. You don’t have to run a marathon to stay active!
What Are Brain Games?
Brain games, like Sudoku, crossword puzzles, Scrabble, and even Candy Crush, can keep you sharp while you relax. These games can be played on your phone while you kick back at the beach, and they can be played alone or with friends.
The Magic of Brain Games
Research has shown that with regular repetition, brain games improve cognitive ability, short-term memory, and overall mental agility.
Striking a Balance
Finding a balance between relaxation and staying physically and mentally active can be challenging, but it’s critical for your health. If you want to enjoy your retirement, invest in your brain health!
Focus On Brain Health Before It’s Too Late
The research is clear: without regular stimulation, the brain starts to struggle to keep up. That’s why it’s so important to stay on top of your brain health as early as possible.
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The post Stay Sharp, Stay Bright: The Importance of Seniors Prioritizing Brain Health first appeared on elpasoNY.com.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Evgeny Atamanenko.
For transparency, this content was partly developed with AI assistance and carefully curated by an experienced editor to be informative and ensure accuracy.