Five Activities to Maintain Brain Sharpness
It's never too late to start exercising because it can increase memory, sharpen thinking, and even reduce the risk of developing dementia.
What is excellent for your heart is also beneficial for your brain, we have known for a while. This is especially true when it comes to physical activity, as research indicates that it can reduce the risk of dementia. But the reason hasn't always been obvious.
Now, fresh research provides some hints. According to a January study in the journal Alzheimer's & Dementia, older persons who maintain their level of activity had higher concentrations of brain proteins that strengthen neural connections Their cognition and memory are subsequently enhanced by this. Even those who were displaying signs of dementia showed that this protective effect was present in them.
One explanation could be that exercise supports strong synapses, the microscopic spaces between neurons that permit communication. According to research coauthor Kaitlin Casaletto, an assistant professor of neuropsychology at the University of California, San Francisco Memory and Aging Center, "these are really where the magic happens when it comes to cognition.".
The good news, she emphasizes, is that the participants' brains, which on average were in their 70s, continued to benefit from exercise well into their later years. Casaletto observes that it seems there is never a bad time to begin. Additionally, you don't have to be a gym rat. The study did discover that higher levels of synaptic protein were present in the brain tissue, but "this suggests that every action counts when it comes to brain health," she continues.
There could be further explanations for why exercise is protective. According to Gary Small, M.D., the chair of psychiatry at New Jersey's Hackensack University Medical Center, regular exercise may also lessen age-related inflammation that affects the brain.
According to Small, patients frequently ask him whether doing a crossword puzzle or going for a jog around the block is better for their brain health. "We know that inflammation is implicated in other chronic diseases such as cancer and heart disease, so it makes sense that it may play a role in cognitive decline as well," he adds. He claims that the evidence is stronger in favor of exercise.
brain-training activities
Which exercise is most effective? According to Casaletto, that question is still open. Currently, she says, "evidence supports every kind of activity, from walking and dancing to tai chi and yoga." However, it's possible that not everyone will profit equally
Nevertheless, evidence from study indicates that particular activities may provide individuals with specific advantages, such as ;
1. Aerobic activity
According to Small, regular aerobic exercise increases blood flow to the brain and also increases the size of the hippocampus, the area of the brain responsible for language memory and learning. An relationship between low physical activity and the incidence of dementia was discovered by one 2017 study that was published in The Journals of Gerontology Series A: Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences. Additionally, the researchers performed MRI scans on roughly 2,000 adults aged 60 or older and discovered that the larger the hippocampus, the more active the subjects were. The very best? It is never too late to start because the preventive effects were greatest in people over 75.
2. Weightlifting
According to a 2020 study in the journal Neuro Image: Clinical, older persons who engage in strength training for six months are less likely to experience hippocampal atrophy. Another study comparing the effects of two different types of exercise, balance and tone training and resistance training, over a 12-month period among women aged 65 to 75 found that lifting weights had the best effects on memory and other cognition measurements. This study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. The neuronal circuits in your brain are exercised when you lift weights because you're so intent on form and following instructions, as Small says.
3. Yoga.
According to a UCLA study from 2016 that was published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease, people 55 and older who participated in a 12-week program that included 12 minutes of at-home meditation each day and an hour of meditative yoga once a week significantly improved their verbal memory (the capacity to recall word lists) (the ability to find and remember locations). As we learn new abilities and build new neural connections, Cathy Ciolek, president of the board of APTA Geriatrics and a physical therapist in Wilmington, Delaware, explains, "These types of changes occur when we perform unfamiliar movements."
4. Taijiquan.
A 2018 study that was published in the journal Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience found that older persons who practiced tai chi for 12 weeks were better at multitasking than those who didn't. Additionally, the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain responsible for higher order thinking, was more active in them. Tai chi may benefit older persons without obvious signs of major cognitive impairment by enhancing reasoning, planning, problem-solving, and remembering, according to research funded by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. The cognitive abilities of those with dementia-related mild cognitive impairment improved as well. The combination of movement and mental concentration in tai chi makes it an excellent type of training, according to Ciolek. In other words, the brain must plan for the future as the body continues to move. Any type of aerobic activity enhances cognition because it increases the flow of oxygen to the brain, according to Ciolek. It also lessens stress, which encourages slower pace and improved concentration.
Five. Dancing
The risk of dementia was decreased by regular dancing by 76%, which is twice as much as reading, according to a landmark New England Journal of Medicine study that tracked seniors for more than 20 years. More recently, dance therapies were found to improve cognitive function in dementia patients, according to a 2017 review article that was published in the journal Current Alzheimer Research.
More broadly, specialists advise that people make every effort to maintain their mobility. In a 2018 study, Small and colleagues discovered that sitting for at least three hours a day significantly thinned the medial temporal lobe, a region of the brain involved in the creation of new memories, in persons aged 45 to 75. Small observes that "this weakening is typically a prelude to dementia."
beginning a task slowly
Avoid starting an activity right away if you've previously been a couch potato because this can increase your risk of being hurt. Casaletto advises starting slowly and working your way up instead.
Consider incorporating movement into your regular daily routines, she advises. This can include standing during meetings, moving your car a bit distance from the grocery store, doing wall sits while brushing your teeth, going for a walk during your next phone conversation, or even performing five sit-ups during a commercial break.
She emphasizes, "These little things build up." "Movement will be easier to continue the more organically it can fit into your daily life." .