Fuel for your Fire

The log cracks as it’s plopped on the glowing embers emitting a welcoming warmth. It’s that time of year and I’ve already curled up by the fire a few times already this fall. While a crackling fire is totally enjoyable as is, it made me think of how to add fuel for your fire regarding memory wellness.

Some research added fuel to my fire as they related to our #MemoryMakeover theme of execution for this month. One discussed how cognitive training enhanced thinking and brain connections. This lent even more evidence to the basis of all our programming at MemoryMinders and gives us all more reasons to stimulate our brains. The other showed how even a bit of activity can lead to prolonged life. Both studies fuel our mind wellness fire.

We each have various items to check off our memory wellness goals list we set in September, but we all can benefit from increased execution on our physical and mental fitness. I love simply cozying up by the fire, but these articles sparked my desire to not just sit by the fire but to do something while I warmed my toes.

How to Fuel your Fire

Here are a few examples of how to get a mental workout while still enjoying the warmth of the fire this winter:

• Read differently. Most of us read something every day, but we can easily take our reading to the next level. I’m rereading a classic and discussing the symbolism and other literary nuances with my daughter. It’s our own mini book club! Whether it’s a book club with friends, digging into a new magazine, genre, or reading aloud, different reading will give our brains a new workout!
• Play a (new) game. Board, electronic, trivia, visual, listening, or card-any game is fun to do inside on a cold or dreary day. Engage your brain by trying a new game alone or even better with friends! Challenge yourself by picking something outside your comfort zone and feel your brain synapses fire!
• Sit and _________. Stretch your back and legs. Write a letter or Christmas card. Draw a picture. Fold the laundry. Sew, knit, crochet or learn how to do something new. Do a mental fitness puzzle or activity. Don’t just sit, do something mentally challenging to enhance your mind and memory.

Speaking of sitting, let’s remember that other article. It gave credence to what many of us know-checking things off our to-do lists can prove to be a workout-literally! Often, our daily activities of cooking, cleaning, laundry, walking to the mailbox, or over to a neighbor’s actually count as exercise, especially as we age.

This doesn’t mean we shouldn’t still aim for the recommended 150 minutes of aerobic exercise a week, but this study demonstrated how even 30 minutes of light physical activity can still lower our mortality by 12%. Moderate aerobic activity like in an exercise class or engaging with additional effort lowered mortality by 39%!

An easy way to do this every day is to get up and do some physical activity six times a day for five minutes. This simple habit of frequent movement will check that 30 minutes of daily activity off our lists and keep our minds and bodies firing on all cylinders!

Hopefully, these tips and research items provide some fuel for your execution fire as they did for me. Your #MemoryMakeover homework this week is simple: Keep taking those steps toward your goals and next time you enjoy a fire, don’t just sit there- execute!

Research References:

Sandra B. Chapman, Jeffrey S. Spence, Sina Aslan, Molly W. Keebler. Enhancing Innovation and Underlying Neural Mechanisms Via Cognitive Training in Healthy Older Adults. Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience, 2017; 9 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2017.00314

Michael J. LaMonte, David M. Buchner, Eileen Rillamas-Sun, Chongzhi Di, Kelley R. Evenson, John Bellettiere, Cora E. Lewis, I-Min Lee, Lesly F. Tinker, Rebecca Seguin, Oleg Zaslovsky, Charles B. Eaton, Marcia L. Stefanick, Andrea Z. LaCroix. Accelerometer-Measured Physical Activity and Mortality in Women Aged 63 to 99. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, 2017; DOI: 10.1111/jgs.15201