TRAIN YOUR BRAIN
It’s not technically a muscle, but it behaves like one. And just like that Kayla Itsines-toned tummy, it’s a case of use it or lose it
FOR MOST OF US, THE MOTIVATION
to run intervals TO GET OUT OF BED or to switch a morning croissant for a plate of sardines doesn’t come from a desire to stave off dementia. It’s a disease so much “for old people”, we don’t see it as a real risk to our health requiring a proactive response while we’re still under 50. And yet by 2021, dementia is expected to surpass heart disease as the leading cause of death. WHETHER WE’RE GENETICALLY
brain volume PREDISPOSED OR NOT, begins to shrink in all of us at just 40. When you consider how integral mental function is to quality of life – think memory, work performance, emotional wellbeing, decisionmaking – building a fit mind for the future becomes more important than working for toned glutes now. A WEALTH OF RESEARCH HAS SHOWN
how HOW MALLEABLE THE BRAIN IS, quickly it forms new physical pathways to manage challenges, keeping its function sharp. It’s not the solid, unshifting lump of matter we used to imagine, and a cursory go at the cryptic crossword and the occasional Zumba class is no longer considered an adequate hedge against its degeneration.
THINK OF BRAIN TRAINING AND TARGETED APPS COME TO MIND
But the jury is still out on the FIRST. efficacy of the many screen-based brain fitness products that are part of a billion-dollar market. In one case, highly targeted computer games have been found to cut older users’ risk of dementia by nearly half, but the more broadly available products, when reviewed by researchers at the University of Illinois, were found to have little impact, beyond how well users could play the game itself. THERE ARE MANY PROVEN WAYS TO
and most don’t BOOST YOUR BRAIN require a subscription. Hard work, for example. Specifically, focusing on difficult mental tasks for a sustained period so the brain is forced to work out like muscles do in a Crossfit session. Reading qualifies, but it has to be demanding – think War And Peace, not Buzzfeed’s “Which War And Peace Character Are You?” – and the concentration level has to be “exam prep”. AS WE APPROACH MIDDLE AGE, THE BRAIN’S NATURAL INCLINATION IS TO
but the best AVOID DIFFICULT TASKS, way to age-proof the part of the brain connected with abstraction
function (such as decision making) is to challenge it. In a study published in the Journal Of Neuroscience, older participants whose brains appeared physically younger in scans were those who took part in activities more challenging than an occasional Sudoku, making their brains “shrink-resistant” in the process. WHEN IT COMES TO ACTUALLY WORKING OUT, ANY EXERCISE IS
but some forms are BENEFICIAL, more so for the brain, such as HIIT. Researchers at the Mayo Clinic found that not only do workouts involving short bursts of extreme activity stop cells from ageing, they reverse existing damage in a way that no medical intervention can. TO SUPERCHARGE THE BENEFITS OF
Yoga EXERCISE, MIX IN MEDITATION. and chanting, like the Kirtan Kriya form of meditation, have been shown to improve memory, mood balance, navigation, focus and multi-tasking ability by boosting communication between different parts of the brain.
An hour-long AND TAKE A NAP. snooze, especially after lunch, can prevent your brain ageing by five years and boosts cognitive function – which will make chapter 47 of War And Peace a little less of a grind.