It is inevitable that our state of health changes as we age. One of the health problems that older adults may encounter is cognitive decline. Some symptoms of cognitive decline include memory loss, having difficulty with multi-tasking, having shorter attention spans, and more. Although severe brain diseases like Alzheimer’s disease cannot be completely cured, it is possible to slow down cognitive decline and help our minds remain sharp. Find out how to maintain a healthy brain for older adults with our top tips now!
Regular Physical Exercise
Exercising regularly is the key to maintaining a healthy lifestyle, and it is not only great for your muscles and bones, but it is also vital to keeping your brain healthy as you age. Physical exercise, especially aerobic exercise, helps increase blood flow to the brain and improve cardiovascular health. In addition, physical exercise also helps to reduce levels of stress and enables you to feel happier and more relaxed. Even if you are unable to do vigorous exercise, doing some light stretching and low-intensity exercise is sufficient if you stick to a consistent routine.
Brain Exercises to Train Your Mind
Apart from physical exercise, doing brain exercises is also helpful to keep your mind healthy. There are many brain exercises including crossword puzzles, brainteasers, games, and more. These activities are designed to train your memory, stimulate your brain, and enable you to think quicker. The key to doing brain exercises is to challenge yourself by doing different kinds of exercises regularly instead of only doing one type of brain exercise.
Build Active Social Life
Building an active social life and surrounding yourself with people you love is an important part of aging. Older adults who have retired or have limited mobility may lose social connections and become more isolated, and this can exacerbate the risk of dementia and other brain diseases. Maintain your social support network by signing up for exciting community events, hosting dinner parties, and more to ensure you stay socially engaged and active.
Maintain a Healthy Diet
A healthy diet is crucial to improving your overall health as well as keeping your brain well. Having a well-balanced diet is important, and eating healthy foods can help slow down cognitive decline. It is recommended to consume more fruits, vegetables, and low-fat food products to keep your body and brain healthy.
Get Sufficient Sleep
It is also important to get enough sleep to allow the brain to rest and recover. Older adults should sleep for at least eight hours and get quality sleep so that the brain stores memories more efficiently.
We Care About Your Health at Rittenhouse Village At Portage
If you want to join a senior living community that cares for various aspects of your health, Rittenhouse Village At Portage is the perfect community for you! We have many different senior living options, including independent senior living, senior assisted living, and more. Our SHINE® Memory Care program is professionally certified and provides individualized memory care for older adults. We also have a range of activities designed to keep your brain, body, and soul happy and healthy.
