The Aging Brain

I just finished viewing the first of a 12 part series on the aging brain.  The DVD was packed with valuable information.  Most importantly, I learned that after age 20, it's all down hill.  Your cognitive functions begin to deteriorate.  I'm not  going to quote the statistics because they differ depending on the type of study done, but generally speaking, brain function diminishes over time, subtly, a little bit at a time.  You don't usually wake up one day and realize you no longer remember phone numbers or how to do something.  Everything slows as we age.  You move slower, you process information slower, you talk slower, you probably need more repetition to learn new tasks too.

Some functions, however, stay the same or may even improve.  Crystallized intelligence (how to skills and accumulated knowledge) include working crossword puzzle or other games that rely on accumulated knowledge stay the same.  You simply know more at 80 than you did at 40, you will do better on tasks that rely on your lifetime of accumulating knowledge.  The kinds of thing that diminish as we age are learning a new language or learning to operate tech equipment, where we have no background.  It's going to take much longer to learn these kinds of things.

There are things we can do to improve brain function as we age.  Here are just a few tips.

1.  Use it or lose it, keep your brain active.
2.  Keep your brain in regular, vigorous use.
3.  Engage in new activities.  Take up painting, dancing, bridge or become a tutor.  The possibilities are endless.

4.  Do crossword puzzles, word games, or cards to strengthen the synapses between brain cells in memory transmission areas.
  Do some sort of physical activity.  Exercise can increase mental abilities 20% to 30%.
6.  Journal writing and working with your hands can help too.
7.  Spend time in the company of family and friends.  The older brain thrives on social contact.

Read the book The Blue Zone.  This book describes the six world zones where people live the longest, and what that do that we don't do.  I read it years ago and it profoundly affected my view of growing old.  The later years of life can be, with a little bit of luck, the very best.  Try to keep your body and mind healthy and you will stay active for years to come.