Why it’ time to put on those DANCING SHOES
And other surprising activities that really do work out the brain
Although there’s no doubt that brain-training videos, puzzles and crosswords can improve some aspects of memory, research has found that their benefits do not necessarily extend to brain functions such as reasoning and problem solving, which are also key to brain health.
You need to stay as involved as you can in life through mixing socially with other people and enjoying stimulating activities. These force the brain to acquire knowledge continually and work with it in ways that ultimately build new networks and strengthen existing ones in the brain.
Just as using many different muscles during exercise improves your overall health, using your brain in a number of challenging ways improves your brain health overall.
If people who have suffered a devastating stroke can learn to speak again — and those born with partial brains, or who lose significant brain tissue to disease, or surgery can propel their brains’ rewiring to work as a whole — think of the possibilities for those of us who just hope to preserve our mental faculties as we age.
Exercise your brain in the right way and you will be able to tap into the ‘plastic’ power of the brain and boost its ability to rewire itself and strengthen its networks.
Here are some great ways to bolster your mental resilience and build brain matter through active learning and finding a strong sense of purpose in life.
MASTER A NEW SKILL
RESEARCH shows that knowledge — whatever you decide to learn — pays off.
So, I urge you to pick a new skill, whether it is playing the piano, cracking computer coding, salsa dancing or writing a novel.
It doesn’t matter what the topic is, as long as it gets you out of your familiar mental rut and on a path to more knowledge and aptitudes. Just grasp any opportunity to learn about a topic that has interested you recently or that you wish you had explored when you were a bit younger.
TAKE UP A NEW LANGUAGE
Speaking two or more languages (even if you learned the second decades after the first) can slow age-related cognitive decline, and being bilingual can protect your brain if alzheimer’s does strike, studies reveal. it is thought that the complexity of a second language acts as part of your cognitive reserve, shielding you against symptoms of decline.
A TRADITIONAL class-based learning programme is a much more effective way to build up cognitive reserve than any braintraining programme.
That’s because classes (whether in an actual classroom or online) usually involve a level of complexity that offers longterm benefits.
Complexity is critical — you can’t just sign up and be passive. To build cognitive reserve you must use your mind in a way that takes you slightly out of your mental comfort zone.
Live class-based
JOIN AN ONLINE CLASS
learning requires using cognitive skills, such as visual comprehension, short- and long-term memory, attention to detail and often numeracy — all of which is enhanced by the fact that you usually have an element of social interaction with fellow classmates. Whether at a bricks and mortar college or in a virtual classroom you get the chance to communicate with others regularly through lively conversation, and this adds an extra beneficial dimension to the brainboosting process.
LEARN A SONG — AND SING IT!
Singing is a great way to build cognitive reserve too.
that’s because if you want to sing a song, you must first retrieve the words and be able to say them. this complex process typically involves the left side of the brain.
however, when you try to actually sing those words, you use completely different parts of the brain — those which handle pitch and tone.
all of this information must move to and from the righthand and left-hand sides of the brain to sync up and integrate the data.
adding a rhythm or a beat means you have to start charging up the back of the brain (the cerebellum) too.
Music is a great enterprise to undertake — the mere act of learning a new skill, such as playing the violin, has proved to be a great way to effectively ‘rewire’ parts of the brain that are responsible for fine motor control.
the brain really is a wonderful thing! i feel so privileged to
have watched an Mri scanner image of the brain of someone singing a song — it is like seeing a light show on a clear night sky.
This complexity is apparent when you see people with even advanced dementia who can still sing songs from their childhood without a problem.
it shows how collectively, disparate places in your brain can still coordinate and work together, even when different parts of the memory system begin to fail.
VOLUNTEER AND HELP OTHERS
FIND out ways you can volunteer regularly for a good cause in your community. Studies show that those who do so are far less likely to be blighted by anxiety, depression, loneliness and social isolation — plus they benefit from having a great sense of purpose.
One large 2018 survey found that over50s who volunteer at least once a year have higher mental wellbeing scores than those who don’t.
For even better cognitive reserve, take up a leadership role in a group or organisation you already belong to — even if it is just online for now.
FIND A SENSE OF PURPOSE
having purpose is all about seeing your life as being deeply meaningful, setting goals to aim for and having a clear sense of direction.
With many of us in lockdown, it is easy to find yourself floundering a little, or just living a kind of half-existence.
But i encourage you to spend time working out what your sense of purpose could be. This is a profoundly powerful skill well worth acquiring because having a sense of purpose is a great way to keep your brain plastic and preserve that cognitive reserve.
in the past 20 years, dozens of studies have shown that older people with a sense of purpose in life are less likely to develop a slew of ailments — from mild cognitive impairment and alzheimer’s disease, to disabilities, heart attacks, and strokes. and they are more likely to live longer than people without this strong undercurrent. in fact, feeling you have a strong purpose right now might reduce your risk of suffering dementia in the future by up to 20 per cent.
The brain-boosting benefits might be partly explained by the fact that purpose often fires the motivation to remain physically active and take better care of yourself. and this in turn helps you manage stress and makes you less prone to dangerous inflammation. Purpose often engenders a love for life and all the experiences it offers.
it also puts a damper on depression, which can be common as we get older, and is a huge risk factor for memory decline, stroke, and dementia.
ENCOURAGE DEEP FOCUS
YOU know that feeling when you are totally immersed in an activity without distraction or any sense of agitation? That deep focus, which sees you absolutely absorbed and enjoying a feeling of intense energy? That’s ‘flow’, and it is very, very good for your cognitive reserve. Finding flow does not mean you are stressed — you can feel blissfully relaxed while being challenged or under pressure at the same time. You need a clear sense of purpose to truly be in the flow and it is a great state to occupy. Think about the last time you were in the flow. What were you doing? How long has it been since that time? Who were you with? I encourage you to list those experiences. They may inspire you to find new routes to flow today.