This blog was written by Mechelle Meadows. Meet our blogging fitness specialists at the NIFS website.
While exercising the brain is of great importance in retirement wellness centers to aid in preventing or reversing memory loss and dementia, it’s never too early to start actively increasing your “brain fitness.” Occasional memory loss happens to anyone, young or old. It often occurs in moments of fatigue, nervousness, or anxiety.
There are exercises you can do to increase memory and other cognitive skills. Just as you should incorporate variety and extra challenges into your physical exercise routines, you should do the same for your brain.
A few mental exercises suggested in this article from the Cleveland Plain Dealer are
- Learn one new word per day and find ways to work it into normal conversation.
- Learn a new language.
- Perform routine tasks in a different way.
Often in retirement or corporate fitness centers, we challenge clients by asking them to close their eyes or stand on only one foot while they do basic strength exercises, thus heightening their proprioceptive awareness and teaching better balance. Similarly, the article says that when you change up simple daily tasks, such as unlocking your front door with your eyes closed, you are activating more senses and key areas of the brain, keeping your mental function at its top level.
Make it your goal to add one mental exercise, such as a crossword puzzle, to your daily routine!