Do you remember how you could grasp concepts of relativity and complex mathematical equations in high school? Or how you could memorize sheets of questions a night before and still pass your exams? Can you still do it now?
Mental sharpness, as they say, decreases with age. No brain, not even a smart one, can recognize its aging. In addition, you will not be able to recognize a change in your brain activity but you will be able to spot changes in the quality of your skills.
When you’re attempting to recall anything, you’ll notice that your brain switches off. It’s also possible to get the impression that you were smarter when you were younger.
So, let us ask the million-dollar question, what is causing your brain’s quality to deteriorate?
The Answer To the Million Dollar Question: Age
Simply put, as you become older, the production of chemicals in your brain decreases. This effectively causes fewer neurons to be created, resulting in a reduction in your brain’s ability to retain information.
As a result, this impairs the brain’s capacity to think quickly and makes it difficult to recall information.
If you’re worried about your brainpower decreasing, you’ve come to the right place.
It’s important to remember that no matter which approach you take, the quality of your brain can deteriorate as you become older. There are, however, a variety of approaches you may take to lessen the impact of aging on your brain.
We will be discussing 9 vital strategies that you can start implementing today to reduce the effects of aging on your brain. Without further ado, let us get you and your brain up to speed.
Exercise
Ever heard of the saying, “Your brain is just like a muscle?”. And just like a muscle, you have to exercise your brain.
For example, if it is legs day at the gym, you will be doing some leg workouts. But what machine could you try to exercise your brain?
Well, it’s a combination of working all the muscles in your body that will have an overall effect on your brain.
Exercises help sharpen the brain. It helps to raise your heart rate, which allows more oxygen to reach your brain. Furthermore, exercise creates a foundation for the formation of new neurons.
This, in turn, improves brain plasticity by encouraging the formation of new connections between brain cells.
Furthermore, exercise has a strong relationship with physical and mental wellness. Regular exercise helps to keep blood pressure, cholesterol, and blood sugar levels in check. All of these things contribute to a healthy brain and heart.
When it comes to reducing the effects of aging on the brain, it’s critical to keep your body active.
Feed Your Brain
It is essential to follow a diet that is highly nutritious in order to keep your mind active. After all, the brain needs to fuel itself to work sharply, right?
Well, imagine this scenario. How can you drive a car without any fuel? The same logic applies to your brain. If you do not consume vitamins and minerals that assist in the recovery of your lost neurons, your brain will deteriorate faster.
Studies have shown that the inclusion of omega-3 oils, turmeric, coffee, and protein-packed peanuts in a diet is one of the best ways to retain a healthy brain.
Green leafy vegetables like lettuce and cabbage have also been proven to reduce the incidence of dementia, according to researchers. These veggies are high in minerals and nutrients such as vitamin E and folate, both of which have been linked to improved brain function.
Keep Track of Your BMI
Your Body Mass Index (BMI) is a crucial indicator that tells you if you are obese or healthy. To maintain your cognitive abilities or improve them, it is vital to know if you are overweight or underweight.
Several studies have shown that obesity is directly related to a decline in brain activity. When you are overweight, it causes a change in the memory genes of your brain, affecting them negatively.
Furthermore, obesity can lead to inflammation and high sugar levels which affects the brain negatively too. Maintaining a healthy weight can help you avoid a lot of health problems and also keep your mind active with age.
Get Quality Sleep
The quality of your brain might be affected by lack of sleep. Sleep has been proven in several studies to be a key factor in memory consolidation. Recent memories are reinforced and turned into long-lasting memories through this process.
It’s no surprise that sleep-deprived students did poorly on examinations. When you don’t get enough sleep on a regular basis, it might worsen the quality of your brain. It works like a negative compound interest on the ability of your brain to retain knowledge.
Sleeping aids the brain’s organization capabilities. It eliminates toxins that accumulate during stressful days and helps to restore memory stability.
Medical experts recommends a good 7-8 hours of sleep based on how strenuous your day is. A night of good sleep also aids in muscle recovery from your exercises. It also helps improve your creative skills and mood.
Practice New Things
Constantly learning new things is one method to keep your mind active. You need to work on new projects and ideas.
Research suggests that when you are picking up a new hobby or skill, you increase the amount of Myelin in your brain. Myelin is the white matter that improves the performance of your brain for multiple tasks.
In addition to this, new skills and hobbies stimulate the neurons causing them to develop more pathways and transmit quicker electrical impulses. This improves your memory retention and helps you recall information more quickly.
You should also remember that the process of picking up a new hobby or task can be fun. It helps your body relieve stress and helps in elevating your mood.
A combination of these factors helps to keep your mind active and prevents aging from affecting the quality of your brain. So go out there and learn a new language or improve an existing skill. You can reap the benefits of your actions later.
Meditate
Here’s some more free information for you to keep your mind active. When it comes to mental aging, meditation might be regarded as a fountain of youth. Meditation is a strong exercise that boosts your chances of sustaining your brain’s abilities.
Meditation works by increasing the thickness of the pre-frontal cortex of your brain. This is the centre of your brain which is in charge of higher brain function. These include awareness, decision-making, and concentration.
With meditation, you can strengthen the higher order of brain function. Thus decreasing the lower order of your brain’s functions, meaning that you can effectively take actions to train your brain.
Studies also show that meditation can have a dramatic impact on the levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. Serotonin, cortisol, endorphins, and melatonin are all brain chemicals that maintain the balance of essential hormones.
The hormones are vital as they help regulate your stress levels and your quality of sleep.
Meditation may be done in a variety of ways, and it is completely free. Adding an hour of meditation to your daily routine can help to keep your mind active and combat the effects of aging on your brain.
Get Your Vitamin Levels Tested
It is a known fact that as you grow older, it is important to keep records of your blood sugar and pressure levels. In addition to these, you need to also look into your vitamin deficiencies that can cause your brain to deteriorate.
Vitamin D, for instance, has been directly linked to maintaining a healthy lifestyle including healthy brain function. Lower levels of vitamin D can lead to dementia and cause a plethora of health issues.
Vitamin D shortages are common in cold climates and people with a dark skin tone. It is important to have regular checkups on your vitamin levels if you fall under any of the two categories.
Wrapping It Up
Having a healthy mind can lead to having a healthy and meaningful life. The process of improving your cognitive abilities does not have to include a long hefty medical bill.
If you notice all the strategies we have discussed to keep your mind active, most of them are natural and free. Try incorporating them into your daily life and you will eventually see changes in the way your brain functions. Have patience and good luck!
Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash