Sharpen Your Brain

Defy Your Age, Sharpen Your Mind

When it comes to staying young, a mind-lift beats a face-lift any day. ~Marty Bucella

Some of the myths about aging and the brain are just not true. We can all acquire new knowledge, sharpen our skills and learn new tricks no matter what our age. Learning new things or learning a new activity that is mentally stimulating can strengthen brain cell networks and help maintain mental functions. Researchers have learned that our older brains are quite capable of learning new things. We continue to learn as we age and we gain wisdom. Older people learn things just as well as younger people. It may take a bit more time or effort but yes you can teach “an old dog new tricks”. Do a crossword puzzle, Play a game, take on a new hobby, study a language, take a college course about a passion of yours, learn a new sport, learn how to play an instrument, take dancing lessons or cozy up with a good book. Reading keeps your mind sharp for life and provides an intellectual boost, especially when reading great literature. Research believes that people who read develop a brainpower reservoir that may lessen the risk of dementia.

All of these new experiences help stimulate the area of the brain that produces dopamine. Dopamine is a chemical involved in memory and learning. Learning and doing new things builds brain mass and increases your mental agility. Don’t be afraid of challenging and expanding your horizons with fresh and new activities. You do not have to excel in your new pursuits to reap the many benefits.

I still have a full deck; I just shuffle slower now. ~Author Unknown

Contrary to popular belief the brain does not lose brain cells everyday, rather it grows new brain cells and reshapes itself through the experiences you encounter and the learning you do. As you challenge your brain, new brain cells sprout and the brain carves a new neural pathway keeping the brain vital. When stimulated by new activities the brain is capable of regeneration.

Brain cells do die off as we age, but the process does not accelerate. The areas of the brain that do lose cells are not necessarily the ones that are related to memory. The structure called the hippocampus shrinks in some people. These physical changes in the brain vary from person to person. Many people reach a ripe old age and are as sharp as ever. Your brain is constantly changing in response to everything you do and think. The brain retains this ability well into old age. This is known as “plasticity.” The aging brain is very resilient, adaptable and capable. Keep it functional and keep it young. With the proper care and lifestyle choices you can anti-age. It is known now that aging isn’t just about our outward appearance. Mental health and well-being are also major factors. Physical, mental, spiritual and social processes affect each person differently during this complex process called aging.

Dementia, senility Alzheimer’sDisease and depression are very real and unpleasant realities that many seniors face as they age. We know there is no magic potion to stop this process of aging. It is up to each individual to take control of their mental health, make smart lifestyle changes about diet and exercise and maintain a healthy, positive attitude in order to maintain their youth and mental potential as long as possible.

Old age puts more wrinkles in our minds than on our faces. ~Michel de Montaigne

Studies indicate that 50% of brain power is genetic and the other 50% is attributed to the environment. The activity a brain receives and the experiences it encounters all help the brain to develop and achieve. Like a muscle the more we exercise it the better it becomes. The best thing you can do to increase your brain’s thinking power is to exercise it through lots of activity. Constant exposure to new ideas, learning and activities will help work your brain, improve it and protect it from mental decline. With mental exercise you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Defying your chronological age can be achieved by keeping your mind active and your brain sharp.

You can't help getting older, but you don't have to get old.

George Burns

1896-1996, American Comedy Actor

There are dozens of books out there that are full of activities that will help you keep your mind sharp. Sodoku puzzles, brain teasers, word finders and crossword puzzles, even the internet has games you can play and challenge yourself to reach new levels of mastery. Simply memorizing a song or poem or perhaps a verse from the Bible will help you with thinking and remembering. The following are a few activities I found to be fun and are excellent examples of ways to sharpen your brain. These were excerpted from Women’s Health magazine, January /February 2008.

Brain-Boosting Puzzles

(1) Find a six-letter male name from which you can drop either the first or the last letter to spell out a five-letter food. (Hint: The name starts with a vowel.

(2) Find the last name of a famous actress hidden in each of these sentences. Each name will be seven consecutive letters long and part of two or more words.

After jumping a crevasse, the cougar landed safely on the other side.

Marian drew sketches in the park all afternoon.

(3) Think of the name of a well-known sport. Change its first letter to another letter, and you get a word for a participant in a different sport. What are the two words?

(4) Put three letters in each set of blanks to complete a word on the left and start a word on the right.

Example: TO _ _ _ TURE

Answer: PIC (topic/picture)

UNI _ _ _ STION

MINI _ _ _ MY

M _ _ _ MERATE

PL _ _ _LEA

(5) What three consecutive numbers, when spelled out, use a single vowel over and over?

ANSWER to (1): Oliver -- olive and liver

ANSWER to (2): Judy Garland (cougar landed), Julie Andrews

ANSWER to (3): hockey/jockey

ANSWER (4): QUE (unique/question); MUM (minimum/mummy); ENU (menu/enumerate); AZA (plaza/azalea)

ANSWER (5): ten, eleven, twelve

Check out more puzzles at this website:

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/puzzle?

Here are two additional sites to check out for more games to try.

Best Memory boosting Games

http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/emotional/memory-brain-power-games

Brain game can Boost IQ - Here's 5 new brain games to play now.

http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/91581

Last but not least, I found this memory boosting trick in Prevention magazine, August 2007;

“If you want to be sure to recall something you read, warm up your memory first by moving your eyes from side to side for 30 seconds. Horizontal eye movements are thought to bolster interaction between the two hemispheres of the brain, and communication between them is key to retrieving certain types of memories. “ –AM

One of the major keys to defying your age is staying mentally active and sharpening your brain. Get out there and train your brain for longevity. You will be glad you did and smarter for it!

First you are young; then you are middle-aged; then you are old; then you are wonderful.

-Norman Vincent Peale

Happy Anti-Aging Everyone

Chuck and Gayle

womenshealthmag.com/puzzle