The key to keeping mentally sharp may not be intellectual gymnastics like puzzles and games as previously thought, but real gymnastics or even walking. Chef Jason suggested this quite a while ago, and I believe it helped towards his 100-pound weight loss. According to new studies from Taft University, Suffield University, and the Franklin Institute, our brains' long, slow decline doesn't have to happen.
It's not just your body that regular walking can help keep in shape--that daily stroll can also boost your brain. Two studies of people over age 70 recently concluded that walking--as little as 90 minutes a week in one study--helps ward off Alzheimer's ...Your brain is a thinking organ that learns and grows by interacting with the world through perception and action. Mental stimulation improves brain function and actually protects against cognitive decline, as does physical exercise.
The human brain is able to continually adapt and rewire itself. Even in old age, it can grow new neurons. Severe mental decline is usually caused by disease, whereas most age-related losses in memory or motor skills simply result from inactivity and a lack of mental exercise and stimulation. In other words, use it or lose it.
They found something that not only halts the brain shrinkage that starts in human brains in their 40's, especially the parts responsible for memory and higher cognition, but actually reverses it.
Aerobic Exercise would be ideal...
but it will actually help you "mentally" if you regularly just go out and walk for a while. Park at the back of parking lots. Use the stairs. Take the time to plan your goals, what to shop for, and stuff. It probably wouldn't hurt to watch "Jeopardy" on TV too, but I personally suggest working out at a YMCA or gym for a half-hour 3-4 times a week including some low-end weight training, and for the elderly with osteoporosis and frail seniors who are getting cared for, supervised indoor & outdoor swimming. It's an enjoyable activity. And the gentle resistance within the water still makes for enjoyment, exercise, and social interaction too.
By the way, if you have a simple household burn in the kitchen or while working on a car with a hot engine, instead of using ice, use cold milk on your burn because it coats better.1
1 Indiana University Medical Center
|
