Fatigue, stress, a sedentary lifestyle, there are many sources of progressive degradation of our brain functions. Unfortunately, we don’t realise it, but the older we get, the more our brain activity decreases. Lost in the hectic pace of daily life and our more-than-stressful routine, we are not aware that our cognitive functions are no longer as stimulated. Our psychomotor functions are also in free fall over the years, as we become increasingly sedentary. This is particularly true when we retire and no longer go to work every day.
We agree, we don’t want these inconveniences in our lives! In this article, you will discover the best ways to maintain your brain function while you are getting older.
Curiosity and discovery
Discovering new things helps to improve memory by stimulating cognitive functions. This is because it encourages your brain to be active all the time. In this sense, take advantage of your free time to watch more or less scientific content. Snack content is the most suitable, as it provides interesting information in short videos of 30 seconds to 5 minutes. And besides entertaining, they will also develop your cognition.
Meditation and physical activity
Stress contributes to the degradation of our brain functions. To avoid this, dare to try meditation, yoga, stretching, cardiac coherence… This will (re)energise your mind, and by extension your brain. Moreover, serenity is the best way to protect yourself fromAlzheimer‘s disease. Apart from that, don’t forget to do some sport. As well as being a great stress reliever, it also helps your blood flow. And your brain needs blood to function properly. To help you feel less stressed and exercise more calmly, there are also food supplements that improve heart function, as well as protein and collagen preparations.
Reading
Not only does reading regularly make you smarter, it can also increase your brain power. Just as exercise works your cardiovascular system, reading boosts your memory by working your brain. As we age, memory and brain function decline. However, reading can help slow this process and keep your mind sharp, longer.
Foreign languages
Learning to speak a foreign languageincreases neural plasticity. Cognitive functions are also improved because this activity increases your deductive and logical abilities. In fact, it has been proven that in just 5 months, those who took language courses strengthened their white and grey matter.
Music
Those who learn to play a musical instrument have better coordination and concentration. This is because they have to do a thousand and one brain activities at the same time to make their chosen instrument sound, and perhaps sing at the same time. And we are not even talking about the process of creating and composing music for the more advanced!
The journey
Contrary to what you might think, travelling does not always mean going abroad. It can be done by going to a city or even a neighbourhood that has never been visited. A little jaunt out of one’s comfort zone greatly improves cognition. Just entering a maze of alleys strengthens the memory, as you will have to memorise certain corners to get out at some point. Also, meeting a new community helps to expand your cognitive flexibility. Indeed, you will discover new practices, languages ..
Sources :
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7230405/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8633567/
https://n.neurology.org/content/81/4/314
