There are a few ways to strengthen your mental ability while fighting memory loss. Some of them seem obvious, and some a bit less self-evident.
Physical Activity
Dr. James Mastrianni, Associate Professor of Neurology; Co-Director, Center for Comprehensive Care and Research on Memory Disorders at the University of Chicago Medical Center suggests at least 30 minutes a day of physical activity. A great example would be walking or biking. Anything that gets your heart pumping. When your heart it pumping hard it is oxygenating your entire body, including your brain cells. Keep them fresh!
Social Life
Dr. Monique M. Williams, assistant professor of medicine and psychiatry in the Division of Geriatrics and Nutritional Science at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo. says that brain exercises are more beneficial when you are socializing. Consider joining a book club, attending trivia night or playing games with a group. Two heads are truly better than one.
Learning
Dr. Jane F. Potter, chief of the Division of Geriatrics and Gerontology at the University of Nebraska Medical Center, says that taking a class long after your traditional schooling is a great way to stay sharp. Education and mental stimulation helps to create and preserve and develop new mental connections, or synapses. It strengthens your cognitive reserve, which is the mind’s resistance to damage of the brain.
Diet
Dr. Melanie Shulman of Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology at the Pearl Barlow Center for Memory Evaluation and Treatment at the Silberstein Alzheimer’s Institute at NYU Langone Medical Center says that having a good diet will help in fighting memory loss. A diet low in saturated fats, high in vegetables, and high in fiber will effectively lower the likelihood of developing cerebrovascular disease. Cerebrovascular disease is a group of brain dysfunctions related to disease of the blood vessels supplying the brain.
Share the knowledge! Exercising regularly, eating healthy foods, keeping socially and intellectually stimulated are the best ways to preserve your memory.
Pat Ryan
Pat is a senior healthcare specialist. He has been involved in the community since 2007 and has been running A Gentle Touch Senior Home & Health Care since 2012.