We have all heard the saying, “The brain is a muscle, use it or lose it!” How exactly do we workout our brain? What can we do if we already feel our brain “slowing down?”
We sat down with Georgia Gunter, Geriatric Care Manager at JF&CS and the program coordinator of the BrainHealth Bootcamp, to give us some quick exercises we can do to workout our brains.
Georgia told us that there are three areas that are proven to improve brain health: physical fitness, cognitive stimulation, and social engagement.
Physical Fitness
An easy way to work out your body and your brain is to work on your balance! Balancing strengthens your brain because it requires deep concentration. Try this:
Holding onto the back of a chair, balance on one foot for ten seconds. After ten seconds, balance on the other foot. Switch back and forth for 3 minutes. If you’re feeling stronger, try the same exercise without holding onto the chair.
Source: NIH
Cognitive Stimulation
Georgia explained, “The best way to strengthen your cognitive capacity is to challenge yourself with new activities that require your brain, such as learning a new language.” Here are 5 cognitive-building activities that you could dedicate ten minutes to daily:
- Work on a jigsaw puzzle and improve your visuospatial reasoning.
- Play a game of solitaire and improve your memory
- Teach a new skill to a friend and improve your logic.
- Learn a new skill and strengthen connections in your brain.
- Practice meditation and improve your processing speed.
Social Engagement
“People who are socially active have healthier brains than those that are isolated.” Relationships are not only rewarding, but they challenge us to stay sharp. Grab a coffee with a family member or friend. Join a local hobby club. Attend public lectures at local colleges. Get yourself outside and around people!
While you can do a lot for yourself to improve your brain health, if you are concerned about memory issues, we encourage you to consider our BrainHealth Bootcamp. The BrainHealth Boot Camp is an eight-week program that provides individuals recently diagnosed with or recognizing symptoms of memory loss with an opportunity to connect with others experiencing similar situations.
Led by experienced professionals, who specialize in the field of aging, instructors lead small groups through meaningful brain and body exercises and provide exercises that can be taken home to reinforce what is taught in class.
If you or someone you care about would benefit from signing up for the BrainHealth Bootcamp, call our Aviv Older Adult Services intake line at: 770-677-9306.