You know that you need to exercise your body, but did you know that you also need to exercise your brain? As you age, the risk of developing degenerative brain diseases increases. These serious brain diseases can include Alzheimer's disease or dementia - which currently affect millions of people all over the world. Alzheimer's disease specifically, impacts memory function, the ability to understand and process information, and even personality.
So, is it actually possible to delay the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and dementia? Many studies have indicated that it is, in fact possible. The most important thing to do is exercise your brain! Studies have shown that mental exercises, which are essentially mentally stimulating tasks, can ward off or delay various degenerative brain diseases, like Alzheimer's disease and dementia.
Mental exercises are an effective method of delaying the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. When we learn new things, this exercises the prefrontal cortex. The prefrontal cortex is the part of the brain that controls decision-making, impacts the ability to foresee future events, and overall intelligence and personality. This is also the part of the brain that weakens the most as we get older. Without proper mental exercise, the prefrontal cortex can cause a dramatic change in personality as we age. However, by exercising this part of the brain, it can improve memory and delay the effects of Alzheimer's disease.
Believe it or not, there are a number of ways to exercise the brain. In fact, you may be doing some of these things already without even realizing! For example, going for a walk in the park, reading a new book, or doing a crossword puzzle, are all activities that can challenge the brain. Whatever you do, remember that challenging the brain is the most important aspect of stimulating mental exercise. If you are doing something that you are already good at - like playing Chess, for example - then your brain won't be challenged and you aren't truly exercising it. Learning and trying new and different things will exercise the prefrontal cortex. This can help to delay Alzheimer's disease and the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease as you age.
What are the best exercises to delay Alzheimer's disease?
You need to train your brain to work in a different way than it normally does. An effective mental exercise to improve your memory function is sequencing. Sequencing is a great mental exercise that will train your brain to think in a totally different way. It will also help to work your prefrontal cortex. An example of sequence training is to alternate between numbers and alphabetical letters. Try starting with A, 2, C, 4, E, 6, and so on, and continue to sequence until you reach the end of the alphabet. Once you get used to that sequence, change it up. Try reciting 1, B, 3, D, 5, F, and so on, incorporate words from another language, or doing the sequence backwards. This will activate your brain and challenge it! You can recite the sequences out loud or in your head, whichever you prefer. By constantly changing what the sequence consists of, your brain is always being stimulated in new ways. Avoid memorizing the sequences, as this mental exercise is meant to challenge you.
While you should avoid memorizing sequences, memorization can actually be useful tool to help sharpen your memory. By practicing memorization, you can help to keep your brain fit and feeling challenged. There are a number of different memorization exercises that you can try. Start by thinking about your favourite book, poem, or song. Each day, try to memorize a specific verse, line, or paragraph. As the days continue, keep adding to what you have memorized. This can be a useful way of improving your ability to retain information. Other memorization ideas can include your grocery list or even important phone numbers. Set memorization goals to help delay the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease and other degenerative brain diseases.
Know the saying 'you can't teach an old dog new tricks?' Well, forget it! It is never too late to learn something new. In fact, learning new things can actually help to improve your memory and delay dementia and other related diseases. Whenever you learn new information, you are actually using a totally different part of your brain, so be adventurous! Some ideas that will keep your brain challenged include: studying or learning a different language, reading the newspaper, taking up a new hobby, reading a book from a different genre, or even learning to play a musical instrument. If you've ever wanted to learn something new, but have been hesitant to try, delaying Alzheimer's symptoms is the perfect excuse.
Don't underestimate the power of a playing a game. Any type of strategy game, brainteaser, puzzle, riddle, or even a good old-fashioned card game, can force you to think differently than you normally would. This allows you to use different parts of your brain and really challenge yourself. Something as simple as doing the daily crossword puzzle in the newspaper can be a great mental exercise that may just help to delay Alzheimer's disease.
Another great mental exercise is observation. Being observant may actually do more for your brain than you realize. Rather than just going through the motions - walking with your head down and staring at your shoes, look up! Make a note of your surroundings. Notice sensory details wherever you go and really make note of them in your head. Think about what you are seeing exactly and what types of people are around you. The more you analyze a particular setting, the more focused your brain will become on a regular basis.
To mentally challenge your brain and delay Alzheimer's symptoms, change up your daily routine. Doing the same thing over and over again certainly doesn't challenge your brain. So, since these mental exercises are all about using your brain in different ways than you normally would, apply it to your daily rituals. Instead of driving home the same way that you always do, take a different route. Make something for dinner that you never have before - and shop at a different grocery store for the ingredients. It is important for your mental health that you change up your habits.
Step out of your comfort zone and make the most of these mental exercises. With Alzheimer's disease, dementia, and other brain related diseases affecting so many people, it is essential to do what you can in order to prevent or delay the effects of these diseases. Incorporate some of these mental exercises into your lifestyle today to help delay Alzheimer's disease.
Dr. David Tal has more than twenty years of clinical experience. He strongly believes that medical treatment can improve the life of Alzheimer's and memory loss patients. His participation at the Age Matters Clinic allows him to share his knowledge with patients and their families.
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