We’ve all forgotten something at some point in our lives, and some of us are just inherently more forgetful than others. However, mild changes in memory are a natural part of aging, and as the years go on, you may notice that you or your loved ones are increasingly forgetful.
There are ways of managing age-related forgetfulness, though. Of course, the effects of aging cannot be stopped, but they can be minimized. Here are some ways to keep your mind sharper for longer. In fact, some of these tips may just reverse some degree of forgetfulness!
Exercise
There’s just something about exercise that makes it appear on every list of health tips – and this must mean something, right? Exercise is incredibly important for healthy living, and every part of the body benefits from regular exercise, including the brain. Naturally, exercising gets your blood moving, and blood circulation means that all the parts of your body are receiving better blood supply. When your brain receives a good supply of blood, it is pumped with oxygen and nutrients and minerals that it requires to regenerate cells and repair damage, allowing it to generally perform its functions better. Exercise actually increases the size of the hippocampus, especially when you engage in swimming, running, or other forms of sports. You will enjoy the new development of neurons and more connections forging between them, too! It just takes about 45 minutes of aerobic exercise three times a week (at a minimum) to see the benefits!
Balanced Diet
More and more studies are proving that there is a definite relationship between what you eat and how well your brain functions. Cognitive decline can be avoided by making better dietary choices. According to several studies, those who had the healthiest diets showed a 25% less chance of cognitive decline than those with the least healthy diets. In particular, the heart-healthy Mediterranean diet is especially beneficial to cognitive health. So, preserving your brainpower may be a matter of adopting a healthier, more balanced diet, and eating more berries, dark-skinned fruits, fatty, cold-water fish, leafy greens, and extra virgin olive oil. Sounds delicious, doesn’ it?
Supplements
Sometimes, even eating a healthy diet and meeting your weekly quota of exercise can still leave your body deficient in terms of minerals or vitamins somewhere along the line. A daily supplement is a great way of making sure that you are getting everything your body needs to function at its very best. It has been proven that people who have a habit of taking supplements daily displayed less brain shrinkage than people who didn’t take supplements. Of course, there is the point that those who take supplements are likely healthier in many other ways. But it is undeniable that meeting your daily requirements in all nutrients is a step in the right direction. It is a small investment that has mega-returns!
Lifelong Learning
Just like exercise builds muscle, learning new things builds your brain! You are never too old to learn something new. Choose a skill that you know you will enjoy, join a dance club, or maybe even take up doing puzzles. Trying new things sharpens your brain’s ability to concentrate and pay attention which is absolutely beneficial. This improvement in concentration carries over into everything you do. No matter how difficult it may be to process new information at the beginning, push through and make sure you charge on with determination because the benefits are worth it! It may be particularly challenging if you haven’t been engaging in many activities for a long time, but that is all the more reason to get up and get at it. You may even find that you love the feeling of pride and accomplishment you get when you’ve gotten the hang of something you’ve been trying to get your head around. Take up new hobbies and DIY projects, craftwork, or even community work just to keep the cogs turning.
If you put all these tips into practice, you will be stunned at the difference that it will make in your life. You will be able to feel and see the difference. Of course, all of these tips help not only for improving your brain health but also ultimately improving your lifestyle and your attitude in general. You will find a lot of desirable effects when you put these simple habits into practice!