Staying Sharp at Any Age
When it comes to aging, there is no concrete way to stop the aging process in its tracks – or reverse it, for that matter. But when it comes to keeping your brain sharp, healthy, and functioning at its highest frequency, there are plenty of ways to improve your mental stamina and stay sharp at any age.
The benefits of staying mentally active are numerous, including increased memory capacity, improved brain processing speed, stimulation of problem-solving skills, improved reaction times and motor skills, and reducing the chances of developing Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia.
That’s why it's important to acknowledge the benefits of internal mobility; working to keep each element of our body healthy ensures overall wellness - and this includes cognitive health. Scientists believe that staying mentally active will keep your brain young¹, and may help individuals prioritize tasks more efficiently and even delay the cognitive decline associated with aging.
If you’re curious about how to keep your brain healthy and active, then read on as we explore the best practices for maintaining healthy levels of internal mobility, and staying sharp at any age.
Mental Stimulation & Socialisation
Mental activities such as learning a new skill, reading, playing brain games and puzzles, and interacting with friends can improve brain health². This is because, through stimulation, the brain will need to process information faster, and embrace new challenges.
As we age, it is important that we keep our internal mobility strong and our brain active and healthy. Socializing with friends and family, taking on challenging games, and staying mentally stimulated are all great ways to do this. When we talk to people, we are stimulating brain activity as new information is shared. Participating in activities like puzzles, brain teasers, and trivia provide extra brain stimulation and can help us stay sharp as we age.
Additionally, games such as card or board games provide added brain engagement through problem solving exercises. There are many activities available to promote brain health; choosing just a few that you enjoy can improve cognitive health and provide immense benefit throughout your life.
Stay Balanced with Healthy Eats
Eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables can have a big impact on brain function and keeping your mind healthy. Research has identified that consuming an abundance of fruits and vegetables³can help improve brain performance, energy, memory recall capability, brain plasticity, autonomic nervous system function, and even mood regulation.
As well as providing essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants which benefit the brain, evidence suggests that for the brain to achieve its maximum cognitive health, it is important to consume a variety of plant-based foods throughout the day. With this in mind, it is critical to incorporate sensible intake of fruits and vegetables into your daily diet if you want your brain to continue working at peak capacity.
Practice Self-Care
Taking care of your brain is important for both short-term and long-term health. Doing plenty of physical exercise, practicing self-care, and getting plenty of sleep every night have all been shown to boost brain activity, improve internal mobility, and reduce mental health risks.
Any amount of physical activity is helpful for our brain; the more often we move and challenge our bodies, the stronger brain connections become. Keeping ourselves physically healthy through regular movement will create a ripple effect in our cognitive health, allowing us to improve our brain function while maintaining physical wellness.
Keep in mind that practicing self-care⁴ takes many forms. This can be anything from taking peaceful walks to listening to calming music. Even simply talking with friends or treating yourself with kindness can help you stay mentally afloat.
Finally, sleep is one of the most important pieces when it comes to brain function and cognitive health. Studies have found that when we get enough shut-eye⁵ every night, we can keep our mental clarity sharper and improve our brain functioning overall.
Prevent Cognitive Decline
It’s never too early – or too late – to focus your attention on cognitive health and brain function. With easy-to-use tools such as the iheart device and Brain app, you can take regular readings of your autonomic nervous system, giving you an idea of how certain lifestyle choices and changes impact your overall brain health, and offering up the motivation to adopt routines like the ones suggested in this blog post.
By implementing simple practices, tracking your progress, and understanding your brain function, you can address your mental, physical, and cognitive well-being, and create lasting habits that improve your internal mobility and let you stay sharp at any age.
When we take on mentally stimulating challenges, eat healthy, exercise, and practice self-care, we can watch as our cognitive health improves, and enjoy the results of our hard work, now and into the future.
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