Most of us strive to “stay in shape” in one way or another. Paying attention to physical fitness is imperative, but what about mental fitness? Making sure we flex our mental “muscles” is particularly important as we age.
When asked, most people are more concerned with losing their mental abilities rather than physical as they age. Yet, not everyone makes the most of exercising their minds to ensure mental sharpness. To expect peak performance from our body, it’s understood we must train and exercise it. The same is true for our mind. We must use it to not lose it.
When young, we engage our minds with school, work and family commitments. The way we use our brains becomes different as we age. As we get older, responsibilities change and shift and we don’t have to do as much mental exercise in our daily routine. It becomes something we must choose to do, instead of an integral part of everyday life. Choosing mental fitness may not high on our to-do list, but incorporating it into everyday will benefit our brains and quality of life.
Our brains continue to learn throughout our lives. Yes, we lose brain cells, but we can continue to grow them as well. Neurons or brain cells grow when they are stimulated with use and nourished with physical exercise and brain healthy nutrition. Experts suggest at least an hour of mentally challenging activities each day. While we can’t necessarily stop a disease already present in our brains, we can continue to stimulate our minds to keep it as sharp as possible and sustain independence and function longer.
MemoryMinders offers various options to stimulate your mind. Brain & Memory Wellness Group programs offer in-depth education and mental stimulation, Brain Wellness Games groups offer mind challenging, fun games and large Group Presentations offer a range of topics on brain and overall wellness. Individuals in MemoryMinders programming have shown improvement on cognitive testing during and after participation. Let us know how we can help you engage your mind.
Choose to stimulate your brain today. Participate in challenging activities to exercise your brain. Play games, learn something new or enhance current interests and knowledge. Let’s use our brains and enhance our lives.
