Boost Your Cognitive Health In The Following Ways

  • September 28, 2021 BY  Anthem Seniors
  • Anthem Senior Advantage
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Your cognitive fitness encompasses memory, learning, communication, thinking, and making sound judgments. Cognitive fitness is at the core of a quality life. This article aims to give you some guidelines for efforts you can make to keep your cognitive health in good shape.

The lifestyle choices we make not just affects our physical well-being, but our mental well-being, too. The lifestyle and behavior choices you make can go a long way towards developing better cognition and reducing the chances of cognitive decline, and of course, lowering the risk for Alzheimer’s disease or any other form of dementia, which is yet to have any proven treatments. This makes it working towards keeping your brain in good shape important.

Outlining some steps to improve your cognitive function by Anthem assisted living facilities no matter your age:

Exercise– Whenever we talk about exercise, our thoughts mostly veer towards exercising the body. However, exercising the mind is equally important for lasting brain health since it boosts the flow of blood to the hippocampus (that controls memory). Some ways you can exercise your mind include

  1. sign up for a language class or how to play a musical instrument (you should be on a continuous learning spree to enhance cognitive health),
  2. engage in a new form of exercise or sport, such as yoga, tennis that utilizes both body and mind,
  3. indulging in activities, such as painting, knitting, etc. can be highly beneficial, too,
  4. games like crossword puzzles, chess are also proven to boost cognitive fitness as these are proven to stretch your mind.

Your brain can also reap benefits when you are aerobically fit, so make aerobic exercises, such as swimming, walking, cycling a part of your daily routine.

Stay socially active– Staying socially engaged while observing the Covid-19 protocols will keep your brain in tip-top condition. Call up your loved ones, FaceTime your friends and volunteering are all great ways to maintain social interactions and stay socially active, which is bound to stave off cognitive decline with age.

Stress management is important– The importance of managing your stress well in preventing cognitive decline cannot be emphasized enough. Do not resort to medications at first. Consider the more natural ways, such as meditate, practice yoga, counseling, etc. Stress, if not managed well, is most likely to catapult you into depression, and depressed individuals are at a greater risk for cognitive issues later in life. So work towards reducing stress in your life, which surely is quite doable.

Eat well, stay fit, keep your mind sharp– A balanced diet is the cornerstone of good overall health. A bulk of your diet should comprise colorful veggies and fruits, whole grains, fish like tuna, mackerel, and sardines (contains the healthy omega-3 fats), while limiting the consumption of salt and sugar, and the unhealthy saturated and trans fats.

Some other tips:

  1. Cut alcohol consumption
  2. See your doctor at regular intervals as a measure for cognitive care
  3. Nurture a curious mind
  4. Receive adequate sleep

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