How Seniors Can Prevent or Slow Cognitive Decline. The challenges of aging can be physical, mental and emotional. To stay healthy on all three points, it’s critical that you move your body through space, connect with others and keep learning.
Stay Physically Healthy
Maintaining a regular schedule of exercise is a great way to fight cognitive decline. You may already be engaging in aerobic activities such as walking or cycling. Adding resistance training, such as weights to help you build muscle, can also help fight dementia. In addition to helping you to better brain health, a steady regimen of exercise can help you to sleep more deeply and for longer stretches of time. According to Hughey Injury Lawyers, dementia will affect up to 135 million by the middle of the century, so staying ahead of the disease is crucial. Getting regular exercise and eating a healthy diet are easy adjustments to make in your life to protect your brain.
Socialize
Loneliness is hard on your body and your brain. In fact, according to the Campaign to End Loneliness, there are indications that being lonely can have as severe an impact on your brain health as smoking more than half a pack of cigarettes a day. This isolation only increases when someone has been diagnosed with dementia or cognitive decline. Not only do people stop making new connections with others, but they also lose contact with old friends and stop engaging in activities they used to enjoy. If you find yourself losing touch with people, check out senior activities in your area, or look for a way to volunteer for causes that speak to you to help you build your social circle.
Keep Learning
You can protect your brain by building new pathways by learning a new topic or skill. According to Symptomfind, reading stimulates the brain and can reduce your stress levels. If you’re concerned about cognitive decline, schedule at least an hour a day with a new book. Check out free classes for seniors at your local university, or learn to play a new instrument. An aging brain can still learn to make new connections, and learning is a method of building new neural pathways. Learning new skills and subjects can actually protect your brain from the threats of aging and prevent cognitive decline.
As we age, we lose loved ones. This loss can lead to loneliness, which may cause isolation and keep us stuck in our homes. To protect aging brains against cognitive decline, it’s critical that seniors find a way to get some exercise, connect with new people and learn unfamiliar skills. We hope you found out tips useful on How Seniors Can Prevent or Slow Cognitive Decline.
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